


Playing For Keeps

by datajana



Series: A Part To Play [5]
Category: Kings of Con (Web Series), Supernatural, Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Amnesia, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angelic Grace Sex (Supernatural), Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Blow Jobs, Car Accidents, Come Eating, Comfort Sex, Depression, Domestic Fluff, Double Anal Penetration, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Facials, Female Ejaculation, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, Foursome - F/M/M/M, Gabriel Likes Cooking, Gabriel is randy, Hostage Situations, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Loki has a temper, Loki knows his history, M/M, Magic Lube, Masturbating, Medical Jargon, Minor Character Death, Morning Sex, Multi, Multiple Orgasms, Nightmares, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Outdoor Sex, Panic Attacks, Polygamy, Polygamy - Quad, Polygamy - Triad, Portals, Possession, RSJ Fandom, Rimming, Romance, Rough Sex, Seizures, Sex, Sex Magic, Smut, Threesome - M/M/M, Traveling, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:49:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 134,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22929751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/datajana/pseuds/datajana
Summary: Gabriel, Loki, and Rich thought that they had finally found their happily ever after. They had a home, everything was going right - it was wonderful!Yet, someone comes along that threatens that happiness......or does she?And what's up with the Fourth Wall?***I do not consent to have my work hosted on any third party app or site.***
Relationships: Gabriel (Supernatural)/Loki (Supernatural: Unfinished Business)/Richard Speight Jr., Gabriel (Supernatural)/Loki (Supernatural: Unfinished Business)/Richard Speight Jr./OFC, Gabriel (Supernatural: Meta Fiction)/Richard Slate
Series: A Part To Play [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1185974
Comments: 51
Kudos: 10
Collections: Golden Eyed Encounters





	1. Outside The Wall

**Author's Note:**

> Hooray! I'm back after a six months' long hiatus!
> 
> This fic is finished, though the last few chapters are still in beta. However, I plan on _trying_ to stay on a posting schedule (wish me luck with that!).
> 
> Thanks a TON to [Shaylybaby2032](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shaylybaby2032/pseuds/Shaylybaby2032) and [miranda99956](https://archiveofourown.org/users/miranda99956/pseuds/miranda99956) for being my betas; you guys are rockstars!
> 
> TRIGGER WARNINGS: Hostage situation violence is prevalent in the first couple of chapters of this fic. Please be aware!

[ ](https://imgur.com/zOt9VhO)

_**Earth: Los Angeles - Four Earth years ago, two months after Gabriel first disappeared** _

“You’re hired.”

Kit blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected to hear those words from the man leaning against the desk in front of her so quickly.

“But I haven’t even shown you my resumé, Mr. Speight,” she said, reaching for the papers that she had tucked away in a folder on her lap.

He waved a hand to stop her. “Nah, I got all I needed to know from your application.” He stood and walked towards her and extended his hand. “You start on Monday, but you do have a little ‘homework,’ I hate to say.”

She took his hand and shook it. “I… Well, thank you, Mr. Speight!” she said, smiling brightly.

He released her hand and shook his head. “No need to be so formal. Just call me Rich; my father is Mr. Speight,” he winked.

She raised her eyebrows at the blatant flirting from her new employer, but just nodded in reply. “If you say so…Rich. I guess you’ll call me by my first name, then?”

“Only if you feel comfortable with it.”

She got to her feet and held her folder to her chest. “Sure, I guess that would be OK.”

He smiled, and she noticed that the look in his eyes contrasted with the facial feature. He was hiding something behind them, and for some reason, she knew that it was hurting him.

 _What it must be doing to him,_ she thought. _Putting on a mask every day._

“Glad that we’re on the same page,” Rich said. “As to that homework I mentioned, I sent it to your email. It’s all the information about my upcoming projects and events for the next several months. You know the deal: hotels, plane tickets, yadda yadda yadda. I’ll add your cell info to mine later, so be expecting a ring from the number listed in it.” He nodded his head to his cellphone on his desk.

She nodded. “I’ll try to have it all done by then,” she said. She reached up and nervously fumbled with her necklace around her throat. “Thank you so much for hiring me. I didn’t even know—”

He placed his hand on her elbow. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that everyone deserves a chance.”

After she had thanked him one more time, she left and headed down to the parking garage that was connected to the building. She walked through the rows of cars, then heard slow, heavy footsteps behind her. She quickened her pace, reaching into the pocket of her coat jacket for her keys. The footsteps matched her pace, and she felt a jolt of fear shoot through her.

She half-ran towards her car and was almost to it when she felt her feet lose contact with the ground. She cried out as her body was lifted in the air and pulled into a stairwell to her right. She screamed in pain when she slammed into the wall next to the steps and was held against it by some invisible force.

She struggled then hissed when something in her side grated within her. Her ribs, they must be broken. She started to cough wetly, blood falling from the corners of her mouth. She hung her head and groaned, looking through the long strands of her strawberry-blonde hair into the shadows that surrounded her.

“So you’re the one that he chose to work for him,” a rough, disembodied voice said, and a pair of dark-colored boots appeared in her vision. A hand reached out and gripped her chin harshly and forced her head up.

She started to shake uncontrollably at the sight of a man with milky-white eyes. He was bald, and his skin was crisscrossed with ugly, black jagged scars. He was enshrouded in a cape that looked like it was made of soot. In fact, his entire body looked like it was covered in a thin layer of ash.

“I think you’ll do nicely,” he said. He smiled, and she gasped at the sight of teeth covered in what appeared to be black slimy oil, and his breath was foul. “Just have to get you all dolled up first.”

“Please don’t hurt me,” Kit choked out. It hurt to talk, and she felt blood drip down her chin. She didn’t know what was going on. She was hoping it was just a bad nightmare, and that she would wake up soon.

“Oh, don’t worry. It won’t hurt for long,” the man promised. His pupilless eyes pulsed a sickly green and she stiffened as a deep, dark fissure parted the air behind him. “We’ll just go this way and I’ll take care of you, hmm?”

“N-No, please. Let me go!” she begged. He pulled her by her face away from the wall towards the opening behind him, and she couldn’t move. As it got closer, she started to cry. “Please! I don’t know what I did to make you do this to me, but—”

The man laughed. “Oh, it wasn’t you! It was these… _humans._ These vile creatures of this place! But never you mind, you don’t have to worry about that! I just need,” his eyes traveled up and down her form. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that either.”

He stepped back into the fissure, and she squeezed her eyes shut, wondering how much longer she had left to live.

As soon as her body crossed inside, she blacked out…

* * *

...and awoke floating horizontally over a thrumming, dark chasm.

She still couldn’t move, and she was completely nude. She shivered because of the cold temperature, and the room she was in was completely void of light, save a pale verdant glow beneath her.

“H-Hello?” she called out. She gasped at the pain that lanced through her side. It seemed that this wasn’t a dream after all.

She started to cry, but the more she cried, the more she hurt. The more she hurt, the more she cried.

What was happening to her?

“Ah, awake! Finally! I never knew that the Fourth Wall affects humans in such a way!”

Her sobs stopped abruptly at the sound of the familiar voice, and she was overwhelmed with terror. Her eyes looked all around her, and she wished she could move her head.

“Where am I? What are you going to do to me?” she said. Her voice was brittle and thick.

He appeared suddenly at her side, and she whimpered in fear.

“Just going to make you all pretty, and make some room,” he said casually. He held up a hand, and she watched as matter not unlike what she had seen inside his mouth shoot from up beneath her and wrap around his fingers. He then turned her over until she was facing the maw beneath her and she screamed.

It was a rolling mass of dark energy, swirling with the strange green light that allowed her to see in the pitch blackness. The inky ribbons of whatever he had called forth whipped and twisted within its edges. Deep down in the center, she kept catching glimpses of something even darker, and she felt like she was staring into oblivion. She also felt within her heart that the entire abyss was the epitome of suffering, agony, sorrow.

Rich’s sad, hurt eyes flashed across her consciousness.

Then the eyes of all those she cared about.

She would never see them again, but only if she didn’t try to get out of here!

“Let me go!” she screamed, ignoring the pain in her body. “You can’t do this!”

“Oh but I can!” the man shouted. He spread his palm open and slammed it onto the small of her back.

It felt like someone was pressing an iron brand into her flesh. It penetrated her skin, digging through each individual layer into her spine. It then flowed inside her very being and coursed throughout her system, and she felt her eyes roll into the back of her head.

Suddenly, a hand clamped across her open mouth, silencing her screams. She heard murmurs, then someone shaking her. She looked ahead unseeingly for a moment through the intense pain, and for a flash of a second, there was a burst of that grisly green light from before.

The searing fire in her back burst through her veins, and she shrieked against the pressure upon her lips. She then finally succumbed to merciful unconsciousness.

* * *

She awoke curled up on her side facing a wall. She could feel thrumming vibrations through it and she felt so cold! She moved onto her back, then cried out from the intense pain that shot up from the base of her spine. She slowly sat up and looked about her, noticing that she was in a different place than she had been before she had passed out.

It was a smaller room, bereft of any identifying features. Just four dark walls of some hard, rocky material and what looked like a barred door directly across from her. How she was able to even distinguish what she was looking at, she didn’t know. There was no apparent light that she could see.

The wall behind her boomed and she turned quickly, gritting her teeth when it twisted whatever was wrong with her back. She slowly crawled backwards on her hands and knees, afraid of what the sound could mean.

She sat back gingerly on her rear and just looked at the wall, twitching whenever she heard more thuds or other loud sounds issuing from behind it. After a while she started to feel tired, but fought it, afraid of falling asleep, afraid of what might happen to her while she slept.

She also started to notice that her vision would double from time to time. It concerned her for a while until she realized that she was probably dehydrated and that she hadn’t eaten in a very long while. She sighed then, wondering what the man was going to do to her next.

The door clanged open, and she jumped. She swiveled her head in its direction and started to tremble. It was him, and the deranged smile on his face made her wish that she had never woken up.

“Well, looks like we’re ready to go,” he said. He strode towards her and pulled her roughly to her feet. “Let’s see…” He looked her over, humming. “Ah! Of course!” He waved his hand, and her clothes appeared upon her body.

She just stared at him fearfully. “Are you letting me go now?”

He threw back his head and laughed. “Oh, my sweet Catherine! We’re just getting started!” He pulled her close and whispered into her ear. “You belong to me now. And if you value your life, you’ll remember that!”

She felt bile rising into the back of her throat. “Wh-What do you mean?”

He pulled back and patted the side of her face. “Just do what I tell you, and you won’t have to suffer.” He smiled. “Easy, huh?”

* * *

_**Earth: Outside Hamilton, Montana - The Present, three Earth months after Rich, Gabriel, and Loki returned from the fictional world** _

Loki frowned. He had told him not to do this yesterday. He had told him not to do this the day before. Yet, here he was, doing the exact same thing today.

“Gabriel.”

The archangel turned around from where he was leaning against the kitchen island. “Yeah?”

The trickster looked pointedly at Gabriel’s feet, then up at his face and raised an eyebrow. “Where do those go?”

Gabriel’s eyes widened. “Shit!” He snapped his fingers and the shoes on his feet disappeared then popped up by the front door. “I don’t know why I keep forgetting!”

“I’m starting to think that we’re going to have to put up a sign to remind you,” Loki said. When Gabriel narrowed his eyes at him, Loki gave him a teasing smile.

“I hate these little ‘quirks’ that we’re both developing,” Gabriel pouted, crossing his arms petulantly. “And this one just developed because of your whole neat-freakness one.”

Loki scoffed. “You were forgetful to begin with. It’s just gotten a bit worse since we’ve changed.”

“And you’ve become more of an ass,” Gabriel said. He walked forward and wrapped his arms around Loki’s neck. “But you’re cute, so I forgive you.”

Loki kissed him gently on the lips as he placed his hands on his angel’s waist. “Brat,” he said playfully.

They both turned their heads when Loki’s cell phone rang.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “ _Still_ using cello arrangements as your ringtones?”

Loki reached over to the island and picked his phone up to look at the screen. “I like them,” he said, accepting the call. “Hello, Baby.”

“Rich?” Gabriel said, smiling brightly. He leaned closer when Loki turned the speaker function on. Rich had been away at yet another convention, and they had moved into their new home without him. He and Gabriel couldn’t wait until he returned so their human could see what it looked like.

“Yeah, it’s me,” Rich said. He sounded tired. “I’m at the airport, about to board. I almost didn’t have a ride home, though.”

Loki shared a confused look with Gabriel. “What do you mean, Rich?” he asked.

“Kitty didn’t get all the arrangements made until late last night for some reason. She told me that she had overlooked booking them when she got my schedule.” He got quiet for a moment. “It’s not like her.”

Loki heard the concern in his lover’s voice and listened as Gabriel tried to console him. “I’m sure everything’s fine, hon. If there was something wrong, she’d tell you, right?”

“I suppose so,” Rich answered. There was the sound of a pre-boarding announcement over the airport’s intercom. “That’s my flight. I guess I’ll see you two later on this evening.”

“We’ll be there. We’ve missed you,” Loki said gently. He glanced up at Gabriel and saw the same look in his eyes.

“I’ve missed you guys, too. Can’t wait to see our home.” Loki knew he was smiling now because of how wistful he sounded. “I love being able to say that.”

“We do too,” Gabriel said.

“Well, gotta go. Not getting there any quicker standing around. I love you.”

“Love you,” Gabriel said.

“You know I do,” Loki added.

They said their goodbyes, then Loki placed his phone back down. He and Gabriel smiled softly then set to making plans for their human’s first night in their new home.

* * *

_**Missoula International Airport - Missoula, Montana** _

“There he is!” Gabriel said excitedly. He grabbed Loki’s hand and pulled him towards where Rich was walking through the exit.

“Slow down, Angel. You’re going to knock people over,” Loki chided. He looked at the back of his angel’s head in front of him as he was dragged along. “If I trip and fall again…”

He and Gabriel both were wearing “glamor” since they were in public. Gabriel had chosen to go all-out, having spent most of his “life” in hiding. His hair was a mess of curls and a bright, fiery red and he had hazel eyes. He had turned his facial structure into those that were not unlike a runway model, and he wore clothes that could’ve come straight out of a fashion magazine. Loki, however, decided to keep himself more humble. Short, dark brown hair, brown eyes, average looks. He kept his attire more casual as well with jeans, a hoodie, and scuffed sneakers.

They were a very mismatched-looking pair.

It became even more so when Rich met them and they embraced one another. Because of the stigma that surrounded relationships such as theirs, they didn’t share any more affection beyond that—which Rich hated—but the looks in their eyes said it all.

“Your head looks like it’s on fire,” he said, taking in Gabriel’s appearance as they walked out the airport. “Is this the one you finally settled on?”

Gabriel smiled smugly. “Yep.”

“I tried to get him to tone it down, but you know how he is,” Loki said. He led them to their red Jeep Cherokee.

Rich chuckled. “If it’s what he likes, so be it.” He hefted his suitcase into the trunk. “Ugh, I’m so glad that I get to be off for a while. Love those people more than they know, but,” he reached out and touched their arms so he could trace his fingers down them softly. “They’re not you.”

“Let’s go home,” Loki said.

* * *

It took around an hour or so to get from the airport to their house. With Kit’s help, Rich, Gabriel, and Loki had found a two-bedroom ranch house on 20 acres in Montana. It had an expansive view of the mountains and was surrounded by a variety of spruce and fir trees.

When they pulled up, it was after dark. Since the house was a good ten miles or so from the nearest town, the sky was already filled with stars. Rich looked up as he got out of the jeep and smiled at the sight.

“Wow, guys. Please tell me that you bought something to put on the back porch so that we can stargaze at night.”

“Of course! I got an outdoor daybed, just for you!” Gabriel said. He came over and kissed him softly on the lips. “I’ll always find a way to show you the stars.”

“Let’s head inside,” Loki said from beside them. He was holding Rich’s suitcase. “Get you settled.”

They walked up the steps and Gabriel opened the door, letting their human step inside first. Rich opened his eyes and smiled widely. The walls and floor were made of oak, along with the kitchen furniture. The couch, loveseat, and recliners in the living room were all done in brown suede. It was all open concept, because it reminded them of the cabin in Vancouver, right down to the fireplace along one wall. The kitchen was done in earth tones, and all the appliances were stainless steel.

“It’s perfect!” Rich said. He went to take a step in, but was stopped by a hand on his elbow. He turned and saw Loki looking at him. “What?”

“Shoes,” the trickster said. “No shoes in the house.”

Rich looked at Gabriel. “Really?”

Gabriel shrugged. “He’s adamant about it. Just go with it.”

Rich toed his shoes off, then after an approving nod from Loki, he took off down the hallway towards the rest of the house. He passed a door that led to a small utility room then poked his head into the main bathroom, noting how it was all done in white and light gray. He then checked out the guest room, deciding that the color scheme of soft shades of blue was welcoming.

He then turned to their bedroom and smiled at the empire king-sized bed. That had to have been chosen by Gabriel. He roamed his eyes about the room and noticed that it had a comforting feel to it. The bedspread was deep maroon, the sheets off-white. The bed frame was wrought iron, and Rich could only imagine had difficult it must’ve been to have gotten the heavy piece of furniture into the house, much less the bedroom. There was also a large clothing armoire for Rich’s clothes.

The master bath had a large jacuzzi tub and shower, and was decorated in colors that matched the bedroom.

All in all, the house was more than Rich had imagined, and he knew that he and the loves of his life would be content here for a very, very long time.

He walked out of the bathroom and sighed at the sight of his lovers standing at the foot of the bed. They had dropped their glamor as soon as they had walked into the house.

“So? You like?” Gabriel asked. He looked over Rich’s face anxiously.

“I love it!” Rich said, grinning and spreading his arms widely. “I knew you guys would do an amazing job!”

Gabriel whooped in excitement and threw himself at Rich, picking him up under his arms and whirling him around. “I’m so happy!” he exclaimed. He set the human down and looked into his eyes. “Do you have _any_ idea how much time I spent choosing colors for the rooms?”

Loki spoke up. “No, really! It took him three days on just the color for the shower curtain.” He held a hand to his head. “I almost killed him.”

Rich laughed. “Domesticity looks good on you both. On all of us, actually.”

He reached out and pulled Loki towards him and Gabriel, then crowded them all together into a three-way kiss. Their lips slid over each other’s easily, having done this so often that it came as natural as breathing. They opened their mouths and touched their tongues together, and sought entrance to first one orifice then the other, biting and nibbling lips and moaning. Hands roamed, then clothing slowly started to fall to the floor in small piles.

“Fuck, I missed you both,” Rich gasped, rolling his head back as he felt Gabriel slide a hand down his back. He parted his legs to give the archangel room to tease open his cheeks to play with his hole. “Gabriel…mmm…”

Loki licked up Rich’s neck. “Is he touching you, Rich?” He nipped at Rich’s skin. “Are you gonna let him open you up so we can fuck you?”

Rich shivered. “B-Both of you?”

Gabriel groaned. “Only if you want, Baby.”

“I always want both of you, Gabriel.”

Gabriel turned lust-blown eyes to Loki. “Shit, Loki. I can’t wait.”

“You know what to do, Angel,” Loki rasped, lowering his hand and giving Gabriel’s dick three firm, quick strokes.

Gasping at the trickster’s action, Gabriel slicked his fingers and swiped them vigorously up and down Rich’s hungry opening several times, prepping him swiftly for their cocks. Rich shivered and fell heavily against them, feeling his channel stretch and become wet.

“Please… Please…” he begged.

Loki picked him up by his legs, Gabriel by his armpits, and they carried him to their large bed. Gabriel lay on his back at its head, and Rich sank upon his cock with a wanton moan. He moved up and down, Gabriel directing his movements with his hands on his hips.

“Shit, Rich! You’re always so fuckin’ tight!” Gabriel gasped. He pumped up into him several more times, then pulled Rich down so he could press him to his chest.

Loki walked towards them on his knees and leaned forward, looking at where Gabriel was buried inside their human. “You’re stretched so wide around our angel, Rich,” Loki said. He ran a finger around Rich’s rim, making him moan. “Your hole is so greedy, and I bet it wants more.”

“Fuck, Loki,” Rich whimpered against Gabriel’s chest.

“You want me to?” Loki said, teasing a finger between Gabriel’s cock and Rich’s taut opening.

Gabriel and Rich shuddered.

“What about you, Angel? You want me in there too?”

“Dammit, Loki! Just fuck us!” Gabriel whined.

“Since you asked so nicely,” Loki said, enjoying the sounds of desperation in his lovers’ voices. He straightened back then crouched, his feet on either side of Gabriel’s thighs. He bent over Rich’s back and slid his cock along the very bottom of Gabriel’s, then up towards Rich’s opening.

Gabriel groaned, then kissed Rich gently. “Relax, Baby,” he whispered.

Rich nodded, then sighed as he felt Loki’s cockhead slip under his rim and glide up along Gabriel’s shaft. He closed his eyes and bit his lip, not opening them until Loki rested deep and hard beside Gabriel.

Loki curled over Rich, and the triad stayed still, letting Rich adjust. The human loved being full of his lovers’ cocks and surrounded by their bodies. It was the most intimate way they could all touch each other, and it always made them have a special feeling afterward that they couldn’t explain.

Rich felt a burst of warmth flow through his chest. “I love you,” he said softly to them both.

Loki and Gabriel wrapped their arms tightly around him in answer.

They then began to move. Loki pulled out, and as he moved back in, Gabriel did the opposite. Soon they were fucking Rich hard with long, deep strokes, and Rich held on to Gabriel’s shoulders for all he was worth.

“Yes! YES!” Rich shouted. “Fuck me! Please!”

“Someone is horny,” Gabriel panted, shoving his cock roughly in and out of Rich’s hole. “Mmm, Loki, slap your balls on mine! YES! Like that! OH!”

Loki sucked the skin on Rich’s shoulder hard with lips, moving his hips down at the perfect angle to drive himself into Rich. His thighs and stomach connected hard against the human’s skin, smacking his ass loudly. He pulled his lips away and looked proudly at the mark he had left. “You two feel so fucking good on my cock. Want you to cum on me. Mmm… UH!”

The rungs of the bed clacked on the wall as they continued, and Rich kept on begging, asking them to go harder, faster, deeper, to make him feel it in the morning.

“Fuck, Rich! I’ll make sure you _limp_ tomorrow if you keep talking like that,” Gabriel huffed. He bent his knees and slammed his cock into Rich at the same time as Loki, and the human started to wail as his prostate was hit each and every time by his lovers’ movements.

“Gabriel!” Loki shouted. The angel’s actions had caused him to stimulate the sensitive underside of his cock exquisitely. “N-Not gonna last…”

The three beings were a pile of writhing need, right on the precipice of ecstasy. They got closer and closer, but Rich needed just a little more…

“Loki! Gabriel! _Please!_ ” Rich cried desperately.

“Cum Rich!” “Do it!” the archangel and trickster said at the same time.

Rich squeezed his eyes shut and shouted as he pulsed out his release between his and Gabriel’s bodies. His channel clenched and spasmed around the archangel and trickster god’s still thrusting shafts, which crashed them over, and they filled him to near overflowing with their hot ropes of cum.

They rocked through several aftershocks of their orgasms, and as always when they were together like this, that heady, foggy feeling settled over their minds. It wasn’t unpleasant, and they drifted for a long while within it. It was not unlike what had happened to them at the Bunker, just less intense.

Gabriel and Loki became aware of themselves first, then carefully rolled them all gently to their sides. They waited patiently for Rich to rouse from his blissed-out state, holding him firmly between them.

“I’m glad he’s home for a while,” whispered Gabriel, smoothing Rich’s sweat-soaked hair from his forehead. “I didn’t like him being gone from us for so long this time.”

Loki reached over and ran his fingers soothingly along Gabriel’s jaw. “It’s what he wants, and we agreed. And maybe we can all take a trip back to our world, make the visit longer.”

Gabriel’s face lit up with a bright smile. “You’re right! Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Because it’s my job to be on top of things around here, I guess,” Loki smirked.

“Bad joke,” Rich’s voice said from between them. He shifted and turned his head, opening his eyes.

“You hungry?” Gabriel asked.

“Very. Haven’t had anything since that disgusting crap they call ‘food’ on the flight.”

“Let’s get cleaned up then. We had Chinese brought up from town earlier.”

* * *

_**Fictional World - The Summit and Veerabhadra Temple** _

“Sis, Gabe and Richard are on their way to the next world. So far so good.”

“I know, Brother. I know,” the Boss said. She sat in her chambers and covered her face. Their plan was working, she just wished that they could find a way to get the Fourth Wall working. There were beings trapped on Earth, not to mention that she was worried about her charges who lived there now.

She looked up into her brother’s blue eyes. “We might need to use the Ether to get through to Earth.”

B gave her a grim look. “I may be pretty young, Sis, but even I know that that sounds like a bad idea.”

“We have to do something. There’s no other way at the moment.”

“At least let’s test it out first! Don’t just dive straight on in!” Her brother’s voice was full of worry. “I can’t do this alone if something happened to you.”

She smiled softly in understanding. “OK, we’ll do this your way.” She sighed and looked over at the other smaller portals that were open around her, connecting to her other siblings’ worlds. “We’ll need to let the others know as well.”

“And our charges?”

She pursed her lips. “I know that they’ll have our heads, but let’s not say anything until we have something positive to tell them.”

* * *

_**Earth: Los Angeles** _

Kit sighed as she paid her bills online. As usual, she was barely able to make ends meet because of Cormac. He had insisted on having his own phone, new furniture, and the highest quality of clothing and food. Her credit cards were nearly maxed out, and she almost hadn’t made rent this past month.

She stood from the couch and winced at the pain in her back. Once a week Cormac insisted on massaging her back where he had hurt her in that weird room. He would press his fingers firmly upon it, and she would feel… _something_ …pulse through her, and it would sting like fire. She would hurt for a day or two, then it would go away.

While she was at Rich’s office, he would call and leave a voicemail. If she didn’t listen and text him back telling him word-for-word what he had said, he would scream it at her when she came back to the apartment.

The apartment. That’s what it was now. It wasn’t her home. It was her prison. She never left it except to work and back. She had cut off all her friends, all those who were important to her. She didn’t even feel like herself except when she was at work around Rich. She laughed there, cut up with him and Rob when they talked about the project they were both working on.

And that was another thing: when Cormac found out about their project, he latched onto it, obsessed about it. She discovered that it was the “creation” that he had talked about when he first brought her back. She became worried about his fixation upon it, and only gave him vague tidbits when he asked her about it. She considered Rich her friend. Her only friend. And she liked Rob. She was afraid that Cormac would hurt them.

She looked at the clock, noticed the time. She was late for work… _very late._ She headed for the door, grabbing her purse from the kitchen counter.

“Don’t forget to answer my messages,” she heard Cormac say from behind.

She looked over her shoulder. The man was standing there glaring at her, wearing a silk robe and smoking a cigar.

“I won’t.”

* * *

As she drove to work, she went over what had happened to her the night before. She had been lying on the couch, trying unsuccessfully to fall asleep. Cormac had touched her back as soon as she had walked in the door from work a few hours earlier, and she was in so much pain she was wishing that she would just blackout.

She had rolled over onto her stomach to bury her face in her arms to muffle her sobs when that feeling overcame her again. It was a peaceful feeling, a feeling of being comforted, safe, warm.

The first time had been when Cormac was choking her after Rich had gone on his extended vacation after wrapping up filming in Vancouver. Cormac had been furious at her for “losing the selfish one,” and when she had felt her windpipe squeeze shut between his fingers, she had prayed that this monster would never find where her friend was.

 _But I’m so afraid, Rich_ , she had also prayed. _I wish I knew what to do_...

She had been filled with the same feelings and was awashed with peace. She had stopped struggling in Cormac’s hold, and the man had dropped her to the floor, seemingly satisfied that she had learned her lesson.

Of course, he still beat her. She had to hide her injuries, and Cormac healed her just enough so that she could function.

She gasped when she shifted in her seat and her back pressed a little too hard against it. She hated it! Her subconscious kept telling her to just keep driving, to get out of L.A., but then she worried about Rich and Rob. Cormac knew where she worked.

She turned on her blinker and took the exit towards Rich and Rob’s office building. For now, she had no choice.

But if the opportunity arose for her to get away, if only for a short time, she would take it.

She just wished that it would come sooner rather than later.

* * *

_**Montana** _

Rich sat in a wicker chair on the back porch, a cup of coffee beside him. He had awoken before his lovers from a disturbing dream that he couldn’t quite remember, just quick flashes of images that didn’t make sense and a man’s voice that angered him. He had lain there, on the right side of the bed looking towards the door of their bedroom, listening to the light snores of the beings next to him for several minutes before slipping quietly out from under the covers.

Gabriel had groaned and turned towards Loki and thrown an arm around the trickster’s torso, but neither had roused. Rich had watched them sleep for a moment, feeling how lucky he was to have them to come home to whenever he was away. They had spent half the night in each other’s arms, and his body was pleasantly sore from their attentions. He then had shivered from the thought of going back to the other world, of having more than his entire time off with them, of having him and his trickster and archangel pleasuring one another until they passed out.

He had turned and padded softly to the bathroom, put on a robe that hung on the back of the door, and made his way across the hall to make use of the main bathroom. He then fixed himself a cup of coffee and went to sit where he was now.

The sun peeked over the top of the mountains, drawing his attention. It was absolutely breathtaking and reminded him once again why he and his lovers had chosen this place to be their home. It was quiet, peaceful, far from the complicated world outside.

His cellphone started to buzz next to his coffee.

Of course, it wasn’t that far.

He reached over and raised an eyebrow at who was calling—they knew that he was on vacation.

“Robbie?”

“Hey, Rich,” his friend said.

Rich frowned. Rob sounded worried. “Hey. What’s up?”

“Uh…” Rob sighed. “Look, have you talked to Kit lately?”

Rich leaned forward in his seat and stared across the broad field that stretched behind the house. “Well, I talked to her yesterday while I was at the airport. Why?” He watched fog swirl around the trees that surrounded the edges of the field, sensing that he was about to get some news he wasn’t going to like.

“She’s been late to work lately.”

Rich leaned back and crossed his legs. “Well, it has been busy lately. Maybe she’s had a lot of late nights—”

“No, Rich! I mean _really_ late! Just today she walked in _two hours_ after she was supposed to!” Rob’s voice sounded strained and concerned, and Rich stood. “And she was wearing the same clothes she wore yesterday.”

Rich started to pace. “I didn’t want to think that it was a big deal, but she nearly didn’t get my plane tickets yesterday,” he said.

“What?! Are you serious?!”

“Very. Robbie,” Rich said, stopping and looking out the side of his eye as the sun rose higher. “Ask her to call me.”

“What do you think it is, Rich? Do you think she’s depressed?”

Rich sighed and covered his face with his hand. “I don’t know, but we’re her friends, and we should help her.”

“O-OK, Rich. You’re right.”

“Robbie?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks. I know my moving suddenly was—”

“Hey, you had your reasons. I’m just glad that you’re finally feeling better too. We were all worried about you.”

Rich smiled. “Yeah, I am too.” He cleared his throat. “I’ll have my phone near me for when she calls.”

“I’m going to tell her as soon as I let ya go.”

“Alright. Later.”

“Yep.”

He ended the call, then held his phone tightly in his hand. _Kitty_ , he thought, starting to pace once more. _What’s wrong, Darlin’?_

* * *

_**Los Angeles** _

Rob pocketed his phone and went in search of Kit. He had seen her go into his and Rich’s office with her things, and he knew that she was going over Rich’s itinerary for the next handful of months. He entered the office after knocking softly, and when he entered she lifted her head and smiled.

“Hi, Rob!” she said, pushing her laptop aside and straightening the small pile of papers beside her. Her hair hung limply about her shoulders, and there were dark circles under her blue eyes. “Anything I can do for you? I was about to take a break.”

Rob really wanted to tell her to go home and take the next few days off. She looked like she hadn’t slept for days. “N-No, I’m good. Uh, I just talked to Rich, and uh,,,” He faltered as she clenched her hands.

“Rich? I thought he was back home? Did he miss his flight?” Kit said, worry filling her voice. She directed her attention to her laptop and began clicking furiously. “I thought I got the tickets to him on time! He told me he had them! Why didn’t he let me know?”

Rob rushed around the desk to lay his hands on top of her arms to stop her, then lifted them quickly when she jerked away. “Kit?”

She looked at him and widened her eyes. “I-I’m sorry. I don’t know why I did that.”

“Kit,” Rob said gently, kneeling next to her. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, just tired. Not sleeping well,” she said, keeping her eyes averted.

He smiled softly. “I understand the sleeping thing.” He stood, then said, “Rich wanted me to tell you that he’d like to talk with you as soon as you were able.”

She turned to him. “About what? Is something wrong?”

Rob hated lying, so he didn’t. “We’re a little worried about you is all. He wants to talk to you about…things.”

She covered her face with her hands. “I’m fine, Rob. I’m just tired, like I said.”

“Then just let him know that and it’ll be fine, right?”

“Can’t you?” she asked, lowering her hands and giving him a hopeful look.

Rob crossed his arms. “You know that’s not how it goes.”

She sighed. “I know. Had to try.”

“I’ll leave ya to it,” he said and walked out the office.

* * *

Kit took her phone out and stared at it. She knew Rich would see right through her lie, and she hated the fact that she just did so to Rob, even though she technically wasn’t. She _was_ not sleeping well, to the point that she was having trouble functioning. She knew that she was wearing the same clothes as the day before, and that she looked like shit. She was eating only soup every day because of her finances, but she didn’t care, she just didn’t care anymore. She only cared about keeping Rich and Rob safe.

She shakily pressed the contact number for Rich on her phone and held it to her ear.

He picked up after the second ring.

“Kitty?”

“Hi.”

“Rob called me.”

“I-I know.”

“What’s wrong?”

She couldn’t help but smile. That was Rich: straight and to the point. “I’m tired is all. Not sleeping well.”

There was silence on the other line, and she waited.

“Kitty, how long have we known each other?”

“Over four years.”

“And during all that time, have I ever given you the impression that I was an idiot?”

She winced and lowered her head to lean it on her hand. “No, Rich, never.” He sounded upset.

“Then why, Kitty? Why aren’t you being truthful to me? I’m worried about you.”

She felt her lower lip tremble. _Because I don’t want anyone to get hurt, Rich. Because I don’t want Rob—sweet, innocent Rob—to get hurt._

_I don’t want **you** to get hurt._

“Kitty?”

She wiped at her eyes, not realizing that she had started to cry. “I—” she cleared her throat. “I’m just overwhelmed with things right now. I’m sorry for worrying you guys.”

“Kitty, you know you can talk to me, right? I’m not just your employer.” Rich’s voice was soft, full of understanding. “I know that you and Rob don’t spend as much time together as we do, but he’s a good listener too, since I’m not there like I used to be.”

“I appreciate that. I really do. And I’ll remember, I promise.”

“And you can call me, anytime. I don’t care if it’s the dead of night, and I don’t care about the time difference.”

She wiped her eyes again. “OK.”

“I’ll let you go, Darlin’. And I mean it: anytime.”

“I know. Goodbye, Rich.”

“Goodbye.”

She placed her phone facedown on the desk and held her head in her hands. She stared down at its surface and let her tears fall.

What was she doing?

“I’m sorry, Rich.”

* * *

_**Gabe and Richard - Amongst the Fictional Worlds** _

“Gabe!” Richard called, running down the corridor of the building they had just entered to escape the being chasing them. “Where are you?”

There was the sound of a door being kicked in, followed by heavy footsteps. The human took a quick left, looking around frantically for the angel. Where was he?

He heard his name being whispered from above. “Richard!” He looked up into the worried eyes of his angel. “Grab my hand!” Gabe was leaning down from an opening in the ceiling, his right arm reaching down towards him. “Now!”

Richard jumped, grasping Gabe’s forearm tightly, then held on as he was pulled swiftly through the hole and set alongside his boyfriend. He looked at Gabe, then wrapped his arms around him. “What the hell, Gabe?!” he hissed through his teeth.

“Quiet!” Gabe hissed back. He looked down and cocked his head to the side, then placed his hand on Richard’s back as the person who followed them came into view.

Richard tensed, and Gabe held him tightly. The person looked around the hall, and they both could see the Hate mark that was wrapped around their throat. After a few moments, they turned and stalked off, and when it was certain that they had left Gabe faced Richard.

“Was that...?” he said softly.

Richard’s gaze was pained. “I haven’t seen him in years. Could that really be him, Gabe?” He shook his head. “Why would he come after us?”

“Richard…?” Gabe’s face and voice were filled with sorrow as he cupped his lover’s cheek. “Who was he?”

“One of the main characters from my world. I thought he was lost…” He pulled away from the angel and stared down at his lap. “I don’t get it. What the hell is going on, Gabe?”

Gabe looked at him, worry etched into his features. He then sat back on his hands and looked around the cramped space around them. “I don’t know, Babe. But maybe the Guardians can help us figure it out.” When Richard didn’t respond, he took his hand and placed it on the human’s knee. “Hey, this world was pretty neat for a while, wasn’t it?” he said.

Richard sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He knew that Gabe was trying to distract him, but appreciated it nonetheless. “Yeah. Who knew that there was a place where you could find people who were green and horny, or who had green blood and talked like they were walking encyclopedias?”

“Or you could leave Earth and go places almost as fast as angels can fly!” Gabe said, smiling. He sighed, then pulled Richard close to him. “Let’s call this world’s Guardian, tell our head honchos what we ran into.”

Richard dropped his head onto Gabe’s shoulders. “I can’t believe this happened to him.” He jerked back, panic-stricken. “You don’t think—”

Gabe quickly put his hands on both sides of Richard’s face. “I’m not sure what to think, but I do know that we need to keep doing what we’ve been doing.”

“But Gabe…”

“We’ll figure this out. One step at a time, remember?”

“You’re right. Let’s go.”

* * *

_**Montana** _

Gabriel watched Rich pick absentmindedly at his food. He had been this way for the past few days, ever since the phone call conversations he had had with Rob and Kit. He knew how close he was to his PA; he had been there, watching the beginning of Rich’s strong friendship with the woman. She had helped him so much through his depression, looking out for him, making sure he ate, was on time for appointments, everything.

And she was the person he didn’t pull completely away from. It might’ve been mostly because of Rich’s job, but he saw her nearly every day, and he smiled more often around her. Gabriel felt that he was in good hands whenever Kit was around, and was thankful that she had appeared so soon after he had disappeared like a coward.

Seeing him like this, and worried to the point that he was neglecting himself, meant that something was really wrong. It not only concerned the archangel for his lover, but for the woman he felt he owed so much to as well.

“Rich, Love,” he said softly, reaching over with his hand to touch the human’s arm gently. “Are you alright?”

Rich looked up at him, the dark circles under his eyes more pronounced than they were from the start of the day. Gabriel knew that Rich had been lying awake at night, afraid of receiving a bad phone call from Rob about something happening to his friend. Rich had asked them to postpone their trip back to the other world, and had even been avoiding advances of intimacy from him and Loki. He claimed that it just didn’t seem right to considering how worried he was.

“I don’t know.”

Gabriel shared a glance with Loki, who had put down his silverware. They had talked about how quiet and withdrawn Rich had become over the past few days, and knew that if they didn’t try to talk to him about it that he’d get worse.

“Is there anything we can do?” Loki asked, drawing Rich’s attention. He spoke slowly, his low voice calm and succinct. “You know that we will do anything we can to help you.”

Rich moved his food about his plate with his fork. “She’s acting so strangely. She’s usually on top of things, but it’s like she’s distracted. Things aren’t adding up.” He dropped his fork and it made a loud noise as it clattered to the side of his plate and dropped to the table. He pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. “I don’t want to jump to conclusions because she’s one of the few people I trust, but…”

Gabriel and Loki watched as he seemed to fold in on himself, refusing to say what he thought. Rich stood and made his way to the sink so he could look out into the backyard. They all stayed silent, lost in their own thoughts.

“You don’t think she’s hiding something, do you?” Loki said eventually.

Rich turned tired eyes to look at him. “I can’t think that of her, Loki. I just can’t.”

“Rich…”

“No, Loki! She’s… She’s _Kit._ If you ever met her, you’d know that she’s the sweetest, kindest, most pure-hearted person you’d ever get the pleasure to meet,” Rich said. He looked back out the window. “She’d never do that to me.”

* * *

_**Los Angeles** _

Kit had just stepped out of the shower, her first in what felt like days. She wrapped her robe around herself, then went to open the bathroom door. Before she turned the handle, she heard Cormac’s voice in the hallway.

And it sounded like he was talking to someone.

She furrowed her brow, not quite understanding what she was hearing. She knew that it was just the two of them in the apartment; had another person arrived during the night that she was not aware of?

She quietly pressed her ear against the door and listened.

“Not too much longer now, my dear Natharia.”

The voice that answered sounded as if it were both underwater and coming from a ham radio at the same time, which confused Kit even further.

“ _But it’s been years, Father. I’ve only been able to leave a drop of myself inside her. It wasn’t enough. I can’t feel anything with you on the other side of the Wall._ ”

Kit frowned. A “drop?” What did that mean? She closed her eyes, digging through the memories of what had happened to her four years prior, though she always did her best _not_ to think about them:

_“Just going to make you all pretty, and make some room…”_

_...a hand across her mouth, stopping her screams…_

_...a flash of green light…_

_...seeing double while in the strange room after regaining consciousness…_

_Making room_ , she thought. _Is that what the ‘drop’ was for?_

“No need to worry, my pet. I’m injecting more Odium, but I have to do it gradually or she’ll just become another drone like all the others, and completely useless for you.” Cormac sounded gleeful and so sure of himself, and it made Kit nearly sick to her stomach. Injecting what into her? She glanced in the mirror to her right and her eyes fell to her back.

Oh no. No, no, no...

“How much longer? We’re already making a lot of headway in other worlds. We’ve nearly conquered the first world we targeted.”

“Your puppet gets weaker-willed with each infusion I give her. Soon she will give me all I want. I will have her bring at least one of that world’s creators to me, and then our utopia will begin.”

Kit felt a jolt of fear shoot down her spine. She didn’t understand exactly what Cormac and his apparent child were saying, but she _did_ know that Rich and Rob would be killed if she didn’t do something!

She racked her brain, trying to think of anything that she could possibly do. She started to go over schedules, to see if she could keep her dear friends away from this dangerous man. Suddenly, a recent conversation with Rob flitted across her brain, and it was all she could do to stop herself from sighing in relief.

It might end up disastrous for her, but they would be safe. She could explain, and she didn’t care if they didn’t believe her. It only mattered that Cormac stayed away and never found them. He didn’t know where either of them lived, she had made sure of that fact. Even though she had gotten Cormac a cellphone, he only kept it to contact her. She had no wifi at home, and had turned off his data access because of financial issues—he had decided that she’d rather put the funds towards the cable bill instead.

She waited until Cormac finished his conversation, then decided to go ahead and brush her teeth to give him the impression that she hadn’t overheard the exchange. She opened the door and saw him standing just inside the entrance of the master bedroom, but he ignored her.

So she ignored him back and got ready for work.

And went to implement her plan.


	2. Wall Of Denial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: A bit more hostage situational violence in this one, motor vehicle accident, and nightmares.
> 
> I'm still sticking to my update schedule! Yay for me!

_**The Summit** _

The Boss sat at her desk, listening as her brother and friends spoke from the two small portals hovering before her. B’s haggard expression looked out from the one on her left, Gabe and Richard’s tired faces from the other.

“Another of Richard’s friends was in this world too, Boss Lady,” Gabe was saying. “If we hadn’t called out to Chief here”—he motioned to the Guardian behind them, who looked like an older woman from that world—“we would’ve been caught!”

“You should’ve asked for help from the main character!” Chief admonished them. “He IS a detective and very clever!”

“Yeah, and a stuck-up asshole and prick!” Richard shot back. “When we arrived all he did was try to analyze us! Of all places for us to pop in at, it HAD to be his dingy apartment!”

“Richard,” Gabe said, trying to stall yet another argument between the two. “At least the other two characters who live in the same building appeared and helped to get us out of there.”

Richard grumbled. “Yeah, and straight into trouble.” He glared at the Chief. “Why did you choose to copy the landlady’s form anyway? She was really nice, and you’re, well…”

The Guardian raised her eyebrow. “I’m what?”

“You’re not.”

“Richard!” B snapped. Richard jerked his attention to the male Guardian. “I know that you’re rattled from what’s been happening lately, but please, show some respect!”

Gabe placed a hand on the small of his lover’s back to comfort him. “It gets worse with each person he sees. Those marks…”

Richard rubbed his shoulder and frowned. “I don’t like it. I keep,” he looked between the Boss and B. “I keep having these dreams of me being chased by something, and my own mark hurting like it did before.”

All three Guardians shared a look. “Richard, do you remember anything else?” the Boss asked.

Gabe gripped the back of Richard’s shirt. “Is something wrong?”

B shook his head. “Don’t know, but anything right now needs to be looked into.”

Richard sighed. “No, nothing else. Just running, the pain.” He stepped closer to Gabe. “Am I in danger? Should I come back? Sh-Should I just deal with…” He trailed off and started to shake.

“No,” the angel said. “You can’t go in there, baby.”

“But—”

Gabe turned and took Richard by the shoulders so he could look him in the face. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” He looked over at the Boss and B. “What do we do?”

“Richard,” the Boss said. Richard turned his head. “If anything changes concerning you, anything, you let us or the nearest Guardian know immediately. I hate to say it, but what’s happening is more than likely connected.”

“And while I’d rather have you here, safe in our world’s Ether”—B grimaced when Richard whimpered and pressed his face into Gabe’s chest—“I concur with my sister. And Richard,” he added, his voice full of regret. “If it comes down to it, you might have to go in the end, if only to keep you from being eaten alive by the Odium.”

Richard shuddered in Gabe’s arms but nodded. “I-I understand.”

Gabe kissed him on top of his head. “I’ll go with you, if you do,” he promised.

Richard nodded against his chest. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“Anything for you.”

* * *

_**Los Angeles - three weeks later** _

“I plan on heading out with the family after the tour’s over, so I should be back in time for the convention in October,” Rob said as he gathered his things.

Kit smiled and handed him his tote bag. “I hope you guys have a great time! Bring me back something!”

Rob grinned and swung his bag over his shoulder. “Thanks for taking me to the airport, Kit. You really didn’t have to.” He went to give her a hug but stopped, tilting his head and smiling warmly instead. “I’ll give you a call when I arrive.”

She nodded, sadness filling her. Rob must have remembered how she’d jerked away the last time he’d tried to touch her. “I’ll be expecting it.” She watched him turn and start to walk away, then when he looked back over his shoulder and waved, she returned the gesture.

He continued on his way and she jumped as her phone buzzed with a text message. She took it from her pocket and frowned when she saw who it was from.

_C: Be home early tomorrow night. It’s time to double-up._

Kit felt bile rise to the top of her throat. She shoved her phone back into her jeans and rushed to the nearest bathroom. Entering the first available stall, she fell to her knees and emptied her stomach until tears ran down her face.

She wiped her mouth with a piece of toilet tissue and leaned back against the stall’s door. He was going to force even more of that stuff—that “Odium”—into her! She had to leave in the morning, not after work like she had planned.

* * *

_**Montana** _

“Gabriel!”

Rich and Gabriel turned their heads towards the backdoor. They were sitting on the back porch sharing a bowl of trail mix. They looked up when Loki appeared behind the screen.

“Yes?” Gabriel said cautiously when he saw the annoyed expression on his lover’s face.

“Dishes.” The trickster then glared at him and walked away.

Rich sighed and gave the archangel a look. “Really, Gabriel? You know how finicky he is about that.”

“I know,” Gabriel said. He crossed his arms. “I just hate that I have to do it by hand now instead of just snapping it all away.” He stood, making his way to the door and opening the screen. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ll never regret becoming what I am now, but housework sucks!”

Rich rolled his eyes. “It’s not as if you have to do it all by yourself.”

Gabriel made a face. “I don’t like doing it at all.”

“If you were neater it wouldn’t be so bad,” Loki’s voice came from inside the house. Gabriel and Rich once again turned their heads to the door. “Now get in here and _please_ clean up?”

“D-Did you say ‘please?’” Gabriel said. He placed a hand upon his chest. “I think I might faint!”

Loki shot out a hand and gripped Gabriel’s shirtfront tightly to pull him roughly inside. “ _Now._ ”

As Gabriel was dragged into the kitchen, Rich chuckled to himself. Everyday something like this happened to remind him how lucky he was to have those two.

His eyes cut to the table next to him as his cell rang. He raised his eyebrows curiously when he saw that it was from Rob. Wasn’t he supposed to be busy on a tour?

“Hey Bob-o, what’s up? How’s things?”

“Have you heard from Kit?”

Rich felt his stomach drop. _Kit again?_ “No, I haven’t. What’s wrong? I thought she was doing better? You told me—”

“I haven’t heard from her since last night. I told her that I’d call her today to get some info on a restaurant in the area, and she hasn’t answered all day. I thought that maybe her cell was on the fritz, so I called the office.” Rob then sighed worriedly. “Rich, she didn’t come into work today. She didn’t even call in to say she wouldn’t be.”

Rich swallowed. “And she’s still not answering her cell?”

“No, it goes straight to voicemail.”

He stood and looked about him, not registering what he was looking at. “We need to call the police, have them look for her—”

“Already on it. Her apartment was clean. Nothing there, but her car is gone.”

“Dammit!” Rich grit out.

“They’re on the lookout for her car, and I’ve given them her picture.”

Rich raised a shaking hand to his face. “G-Good, Robbie. That’s good.”

There was silence for a moment. “Rich, I know that you two are really close. Has she ever told you about any family she has? Should we contact them?”

Rich shook his head, then squeezed his eyes shut when he remembered that his friend couldn’t see him. “N-No. She told me that she was raised in the foster system. She has no idea who her parents were.”

“I see.”

“Robbie, I’m gonna go. I need…” Rich trailed off, not sure what to say as an excuse.

“I understand Rich. I just called to let you know. I’ll be in touch, and I’ll text you the number to the LAPD’s Missing Person’s department, OK?”

“Thanks, Robbie. And thanks, for understanding.”

“Of course.”

“Yeah.”

He ended the call, then went inside. He heard Loki and Gabriel talking in the kitchen and slowly walked into the room. The moment they laid their eyes on him both of their expressions became worried.

“Rich?”

“Baby?”

Rich’s eyes became glazed with tears, then his face crumbled as he reached out for them. They both rushed to his side and gathered him in their arms.

“What is it, Rich?” Gabriel said softly, leading him along with Loki to the living room couch. They sat him on the middle cushion and cuddled him between them. “Shh, shh… We’re here, my love, we’re here,” he crooned, as tears streamed down Rich’s face.

Rich hiccuped. “It’s Kit, she’s missing. We don’t know where she is,” he rasped. He buried his face in Loki’s chest. “I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t push it, and now she might be—”

“Rich, don’t,” Loki said firmly but gently. “You don’t know what’s happened.”

“You can’t possibly blame yourself,” Gabriel added, running his fingers through the hair at the nape of Rich’s neck. “No ‘what if’s,’ OK? We just have to let the police do their job.”

Rich turned his face to look at Gabriel. “Now I’m wishing that you had all your powers so you could find her right away,” he said sadly.

Gabriel wrapped his arms around him tightly. “Me too, dear heart, me too.”

* * *

_**Random World** _

Gabe studied the walls of the room, noting how it resembled the caves of the world that they were in. This was their first time in a world that was from a book. The main characters hunted mammoth and worshiped a deity called “The Mother.” They were also pretty fond of orgies as well, which honored this “Mother” apparently.

And the people who lived here had no problem keeping in character for _that._

“Gabe?” Richard said, pulling the angel from his thoughts.

He turned and saw his boyfriend lying on a pile of furs looking up at him with pleading eyes. They had been pushing themselves hard lately, going from world to world and contacting the Guardians in each. Whenever they would rest in-between, Gabe would hold on to Richard tightly as the human slept, entering his dreams while he also slept on the off-chance that he would be able to see what had been haunting his lover. So far he had seen nothing, yet Richard still claimed to be having the dreams each night.

“I didn’t see anyone suspicious here,” Gabe said, stripping to his underwear as he walked across the room towards the human. He lay on his side next to Richard, then propped his arm up so he could lean his head on his hand. “That’s a first.” He reached out with his other arm and drew patterns on the human’s bare chest with his finger, thinking.

Richard sighed. “I’d like to stay for a few days, to rest up.”

Gabe looked into Richard’s eyes once more. “Well, we _do_ have something to celebrate after all.”

Richard gave him an odd look. “We do?”

“I know it’s not a pleasant memory, but it’s a huge milestone for you, my heart,” Gabe said, taking Richard’s hand and kissing it softly. “You’ve been sober for a year today.”

Richard’s eyes widened. “You’ve kept track of it for me…all this time?”

Gabe smiled. “Of course I have. I’m so proud of you, Richard.”

“Gabe...” Richard tugged Gabe towards him until the angel was sprawled across him, and he wrapped his arms and legs around him. “I wouldn’t be here without you. I,” he hugged him tightly. “I love you so much.” He buried his head into the juncture of Gabe’s neck and shoulder. “I could say it every day forever and”—Richard’s voice cracked—“and it would never be enough...”

“Richard…” Gabe lifted his head and ran his hand through his lover’s hair. “Just being with you every day is what makes my heart sing.” He leaned forward and kissed him softly to reinforce his words.

Richard’s lips trembled. “I need you, Gabe.”

“You have me.” Gabe held Richard’s face between his hands and kissed him deeply. “Forever.”

Richard gasped against his mouth. “Please make love to me.”

Gabe captured his lips once more, and Richard clutched at his back. Gabe refused to leave Richard’s mouth, slanting his lips over his lover’s again and again, tilting his head to keep their faces close. They pushed each other’s underwear off, wanting to feel nothing separating them. Both moaned when their arousals brushed against their stomachs.

Richard groaned against Gabe’s tongue, then spread his legs so Gabe could lay his body between them. He ran his hands down the angel’s back and squeezed his ass, and Gabe finally released his mouth.

“Gabe,” Richard panted. He licked his swollen lips and stared up at his angel. “Gabe,” he said again.

Gabe trailed kisses down Richard’s neck, sucking blood to the surface of his skin in random places. He reached down with a hand and encircled Richard’s cock and stroked him lazily while nibbling one of his nipples.

“Gabe!” Richard cried. He dug his fingers into Gabe’s skin. “M-More…” he begged.

He felt Gabe’s fingers slicken, and he whined as the strokes increased in frequency and intensity. “ _Oh Gabe…_ ”

Gabe watched his boyfriend toss his head from his hands on him and he sighed. Richard was so beautiful when he was this way. And he only ever let this side of himself come out for him.

He slowly pulled his hand from Richard’s cock and placed his fingers at the human’s furled opening. Richard looked down at him and bit his lower lip, breathing deeply, waiting.

Keeping their gazes connected, Gabe worked Richard open slowly and exquisitely. With each pass of his fingers over Richard’s prostate, the two lovers felt their desire for each other increase. Gabe was soon pumping three wet fingers deeply within Richard, and they breathed harshly in sync, eyes locked.

Gabe could’ve fingerfucked Richard all night, it was so erotic and intense.

“G-Gabe…”

The angel curled his fingers tightly against Richard’s prostate and smiled when the human whimpered. “Yes, my heart?”

“N-Now…need you…now…”

Gabe slowly removed his fingers, then sat back on his knees to coat his cock with his slicked hand. He looked over to the side, pulling a bundle of furs over to place them under Richard’s hips. He then put the human’s legs over his shoulders and leaned all the way forward, his hands on either side of the human’s head, Richard’s knees almost pressing against his own shoulders.

“Richard,” he said softly, then entered him with one smooth thrust. He leaned his forehead against the human’s and they both closed their eyes, letting the feeling of being together flow through their nerves and skin.

They stayed that way for a long moment, then Richard lifted his hands and grasped Gabe’s hair. The angel’s eyes flew open as he felt Richard pull his face down roughly and crash their lips together. Gabe moaned and started to move his hips gently, rocking back and forth shallowly.

They gasped and groaned, undulating their pelvises together, giving and receiving pleasure. Richard cried out for more, and Gabe gladly gave it to him. He felt welts streak his back from Richard’s fingernails, a bite from his teeth on his bicep; marks of his lover he would wear proudly.

Gabe felt Richard start to tighten around him, and he slammed himself into him faster and faster. “Come on, baby,” he whispered against Richard’s ear. “Let me hear you.”

Richard whined and arched his back. “Gabe… So close…” His legs pressed against the sides of Gabe’s neck as he felt a shock of intense pleasure shoot through his body. “I’m...”

Gabe bucked his hips hard at a slightly different angle, clenching his teeth when Richard’s channel started to convulse around his cock.

“GABE!”

He felt Richard’s hot cum hit his upper abdomen and chest, and tossed his head back and shouted as he poured his own into Richard’s heat.

They shook within each other’s arms during their release, panting and gasping the other’s name. Gabe lowered Richard’s legs to his hips, rolling them to their sides. They held on to one another closely in the cool room, and soon the sweat on their skin made them start to shiver.

Gabe quickly snapped them clean, not worrying about being tired, then covered them both with a fur. As always, he turned Richard to his back and settled his head on the human’s chest to listen to his heart, which was still beating a little fast from their passions.

He smiled when he felt Richard playing with his hair. “We need to do that more often,” the human whispered.

Gabe turned his head and kissed Richard’s skin. “As often as you want.”

“I love you, Angel Face.”

“And I love you.”

Gabe wrapped his arms around Richard, making definite plans to stay for a few days to celebrate the man he loved. He deserved it, especially after the news they’d received from the Guardians.

These moments were few and far between, and he feared that they might become even less so in the coming days.

* * *

_**Idaho** _

She did it. She had finally did it.

The morning after Rob had flown out, Kit had gone about her morning routine in the apartment as usual. She was nervous, hoping that Cormac would stay in his room like he did most days.

He’d jerked her head back sharply by her hair when she was nearly out the door. She’d cried out in pain and fallen to the floor onto her side, dropping her purse and banging her legs hard into the kitchen table.

“Do _not_ forget what I reminded you about yesterday,” Cormac had snarled from above her, twisting her hair in his fingers to force her to look up at him. He ignored her whimpers and pulled until she was half-lifted from the floor. “Understood?”

Kit’s eyes watered and she choked back a sob. “Y-Yes, Cor—” She screamed when the evil being jerked her head again roughly.

“Do not use my name so casually! You are not my equal!” he spat. His eyes flashed that sickly green color. “Be here tonight.” He dropped her to the floor and walked away.

Kit had lain where she had fallen for several minutes before she was able to pull herself to her knees using one of the kitchen table’s chairs. She gathered her belongings, then limped out the door and cried all the way to her car.

Twenty minutes later, liked she had planned, she ignored her usual turn off to work and headed northeast out of L.A.

She tossed her phone in a ditch on the highway two days later after Cormac called and texted her for what felt like the thousandth time. She refused to have anything to do with him ever again.

The next day she was three states away from the maniac who had been making her life hell for four long years. The road she was on was in the middle of a mountain pass and she was fighting to keep herself awake to make it to the next city. She had been taking pain medication to deal with the bruises she’d received from Cormac the morning she’d left, but she’d also noticed that she had been feeling a bit dazed now and then. She had been making sure to eat and drink what she could afford, but she had to put gas in her tank in order to get to her destination.

She winced when her vision doubled and her hands shook uncontrollably, making her lose her grip on the steering wheel. She cursed and slammed her foot on the brakes, but the car had turned too sharply and its wheels screeched loudly as the vehicle skidded towards the inside shoulder of the road and slammed into a stand of fir trees. Her head bashed against the steering wheel and she felt her seatbelt burn and tug hard across her chest and lap.

She listened to the car’s engine stutter and die, then screamed as agonizing pain shot through her head and traveled down her neck and spine. Horrendous waves of nausea followed, and as she felt vomit make its way up her throat, her eyes rolled back into her head and all she could think was:

_I’m sorry Rich… I’m so sorry…_

* * *

_**Montana** _

Rich flailed in his sleep, limbs thrashing about the bed. Gabriel, curled asleep to his left, jerked awake then widened his eyes in alarm. “Loki!” he shouted.

Loki sat up, shaking himself awake. He had been sleeping on the other side of Gabriel. “What?” he said, sounding disoriented. He looked over and saw the archangel trying to stop Rich from hitting himself in the face with his own arms. “Shit!” he cursed, and quickly made his way over to help.

Rich had suffered from nightmares the first couple of months after his ordeal in the other world. Many a night he had awoken screaming and crying, feeling like he was trapped in his coma once again. He rarely had them anymore, and never like this. It was scaring the hell out of Gabriel and Loki.

“Rich, Baby, come on, wake up sweetheart,” Gabriel said, grasping Rich’s forearms to stop them from moving. “You’re dreaming. Wake up.”

Rich ground his teeth and continued to struggle, and Gabriel thought he heard him say, “Don’t,” but he wasn’t sure.

Loki held Rich’s legs down by placing his hands on his thighs. “Is he sick? Does he have a fever?”

“I don’t know.” Usually their human was awake by now. What was going on? Gabriel closed his eyes and ran a small pulse of grace through Rich’s skin. His eyes snapped open and he gasped, then huffed as Rich arched his back and fought harder against their hold on him. He turned his face to look at the trickster. “Fuck, Loki.”

“What,” Loki said flatly. “What the hell is it Gabriel?”

Gabriel looked down at Rich. “Rich! Wake up! You’re safe!” He forced himself not to shake him. “Please, Baby!” His voice started to crack. “Please!”

Loki barked, “Gabriel!”

Gabriel started, swallowed, then turned to look at him. His eyes were swimming in tears. “Loki?” he asked.

Loki’s eyes softened. “What is it, Angel?”

“He’s scared shitless, Loki.”

They both turned their heads when Rich stilled abruptly. Gabriel laid one of his hands on the human’s chest and felt as his heartbeat slowed, then moved to touch his face. “Rich? Love?” he said softly.

Rich moaned and pressed his cheek into Gabriel’s palm. “Gabriel…” he sighed. His eyes flew open and he stared at his lovers kneeling over him. “What?” His brows drew together in confusion for a moment before he slowly pushed himself to his elbows. “Did I...?” He blinked sleepily.

“You don’t remember?” Loki asked, moving to sit on Rich’s other side. He frowned when the human shook his head. Another conundrum. “You’ve never behaved this way before during a nightmare.”

“But I don’t remember having a nightmare,” Rich said. He pulled himself up to sit between his lovers. “I’m fine.” He rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. “Was it really that bad? I woke up on my own, didn’t I?”

Loki crossed his arms and glanced at Gabriel.

Rich looked between the trickster and archangel. “What?”

Gabriel started to answer, but was interrupted by Rich’s cell phone going off. Loki reached over and handed it to him.

Rich squinted at the number. “It’s a…hospital.” His eyes widened in alarm and he quickly accepted the call before holding the phone to his ear. “H-Hello?”

* * *

_**Outside Idaho Falls, Idaho** _

Rich looked out the window as the sky started to lighten more with the coming day. He was wide-awake, chewing his thumbnail anxiously while his right leg bounced on the floor of the jeep.

He couldn’t stop thinking about the conversation he had had with the nurse. He had been going over it again and again during the almost four-hour drive to Idaho Falls.

Kit, missing for days, had been in a car accident in Idaho of all places, and she had him listed as her emergency contact. The nurse could only tell him that she was in surgery for multiple injuries and that he needed to get to the hospital as quickly as he could.

He had been frantic. This was Kit! The thought of what could happen almost made his heart stop. The phone had fallen from his fingers after he was finished speaking to the nurse and he had started to hyperventilate.

Gabriel and Loki had immediately gone to his aid. After Rich had calmed down, they rushed about the house, gotten in their vehicle, and onto the road.

“We’re only a half-hour from the city limits, sweetheart,” Gabriel’s soothing voice said from the backseat, breaking into Rich’s thoughts. He felt the archangel's hand gently grip and squeeze his shoulder. “We haven’t gotten another call. I’m sure she’s fine.”

Rich sighed, feeling another bout of tears threaten to spill from his puffy eyes. “Gabriel, if she…” he trailed off and laid his hand over his angel’s. “...I won’t be able to handle it if she’s—”

“Rich,” Loki said from the driver’s seat. “If you need to cry, cry. Don’t hold it in.” He reached over without looking and clasped Rich’s left hand. “You aren’t going through this alone.”

“I know,” Rich whispered, turning his hand over to weave their fingers together. “And I love you both so much for it.” He let his tears stream down his face.

Gabriel leaned forward and kissed Rich’s hand. “I’ve known her as long as you have, Rich. She’s a fighter.”

Rich nodded and took a raspy, wet breath. “Yeah, she is. Stubborn too,” he sniffled.

Loki squeezed his hand. “I look forward to meeting her.”

* * *

_**Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, Idaho Falls, Idaho** _

Rich sprinted towards the elevators as soon as they entered the hospital. Gabriel and Loki, already donned in their glamor, were right on his heels. They stood waiting on the elevator to arrive and Rich shifted from one foot to the other impatiently. Gabriel could clearly tell that he was barely holding it together.

“Rich, easy,” he said softly. He and his partners turned and entered the elevator when it arrived and he waited as Rich hit the appropriate button to take them to ICU. “I know that you want to know how she is, but you don’t need to work yourself up, OK dear heart?”

Rich ran his hands through his hair. “I know, I know. It’s just,” he glanced at Loki and Gabriel. “I need to _know_ that she made it through surgery, that she’ll be OK.” He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “I need to know what she’s been going through the past few months,” he added softly.

There was a _ding!_ as the elevator announced its arrival at their destination, and they all quickly filed out. They followed the directions on the wall to the nurses’ desk and Rich caught the attention of a young woman sitting behind it.

“Excuse me?”

She lifted her head from a small stack of paperwork she had been reading through. “May I help you?”

“I’m Catherine Allen’s emergency contact, Richard Speight.” He fumbled in his pocket for his wallet and quickly took out his driver’s license. “I was told that she was in an accident and was in surgery?”

The nurse took his license and turned to a computer that was positioned beside her. She tapped in several commands and compared the information that came up to Rich’s license. Handing it back to him, she said, “She’s just been put into a room.” She looked at her watch. “Visiting hours start in twenty minutes, so if you’d like to grab some coffee?”

Rich nodded slowly. “Uh, yeah. Sure. Thanks.” As he turned to go, the nurse said, “We only allow two people into the rooms at a time.” Rich nodded once more, then faced his lovers.

“Well, I need to go call Rob anyway,” he said sullenly. He put his license and wallet away, then took his phone out. “Let’s go get that coffee.”

* * *

A half-hour later, the trio stood outside Kit’s room. The young woman was hooked up to a myriad of machines. Her head was wrapped in thick bandages, there was a row of stitches above her right eye, and her face was covered in ugly purple bruises.

The surgeon had arrived shortly after they did. “She was found by a family on a mountain pass south of here. Her car had somehow careened off the road and crashed into some trees. Her airbag had failed to deploy, and her head slammed into the steering wheel. The force of the impact cracked her skull.”

Rich whirled to face him in alarm. “Is she going to be OK?” Loki’s hand touched his back to ground him.

The surgeon looked at Kit’s form through the glass. “Most skull fractures do not require surgery. However, when she came in she was screaming in agony. We ran tests, saw that her brain was swelling. Knew right away that she had some sort of traumatic brain injury.”

“So you performed surgery, to relieve the swelling,” Loki surmised.

“That’s right, and quickly too. I was able to repair the damage.” He opened his mouth, then seemed to hesitate. “I wanted to ask…”

“What?” Rich said, just wanting to go into the room and hold Kit’s hand. She needed him!

“I went through her records. Has she had any accidents at home that she never sought treatment for?”

Rich blinked at him. “I don’t know what you mean.”

The surgeon took Kit’s chart out and flipped through it. “There’s evidence of previous multiple fractures all over her body, as well as some unexplained contusions.” He lifted a page and scanned through it. “She’s also a bit malnourished and dehydrated. She may be in the ICU longer than planned because of it.”

Rich stiffened. Had she been hurting herself? Starving herself? _Oh Kitty_ , he thought. _What have you been going through, Darlin’?_

“Will she wake up soon?” Gabriel asked, sounding worried.

“She was very groggy, but talking, in Recovery. She fell asleep shortly after. I’ve never had a patient who was so vocal right after surgery before.” The surgeon closed Kit’s chart and placed it into the holder by the door. “I wonder who she’s so worried about apologizing to.”

He turned and looked at Rich, Loki, and Gabriel. “I’ll be by to see her when I make my midday rounds.” He acknowledged each of them with a nod and left.

Rich watched him go, then looked at his lovers in turn. “I can’t go in there alone,” he said.

“I’ll go with you, Baby,” Gabriel said, taking his hand. He shared a look with Loki, who nodded. “Come on, let’s go sit with her.”

Rich held onto Gabriel’s hand tightly and walked slowly into the room. The beeps of the monitors sounded loud in his ears, and the sterile smells and stark whiteness of the room were just _wrong_ to him.

And Kit…

Even though she was pale, hurt, and wrapped in bandages, she was still the pretty girl that had walked into his office and made him smile when he was at his lowest. Still the person he depended on to help make his days seem less gray. His friend. His only friend, when he pushed all his others away.

“Rich?”

He blinked. He had stopped moving and was just staring at her. “S-Sorry,” he mumbled to Gabriel. He went and took the chair by her side. “I was just remembering when I first met her.”

Gabriel smiled as he took the chair next to him. “She was enamored with you, ya know.” His eyes softened when Rich looked at him incredulously. “She was!”

“Why would she be that way with me?” Rich asked. He looked at Kit and sighed. “She just saw a tired, sad, old man who needed to be led around like a baby.”

“Don’t argue with me, Rich. I saw it all.” He lifted Rich’s hand to his lips and kissed it. “I think it’s cute.”

Rich rolled his eyes. “Yeah, you would.” He raised his other hand and placed it lightly on Kit’s arm. _What would you think, Kitty?_

Rich sensed Loki leaning against the wall from across the foot of Kit’s bed, his glamor having been shimmered to make himself invisible. He, along with Gabriel, glanced in his direction and smiled; should’ve known that he wouldn’t have waited outside for long.

* * *

Around noon, the doctor came by and checked Kit’s vitals. They were normal, and he reiterated how she may have to stay longer than average. Rich kept his frustration out of his voice while thanking him, though it did not go unnoticed by the two who knew him best.

Gabriel insisted on Rich getting something to eat, and they both went to the hospital’s cafeteria. Loki stayed to keep a vigil on Kit.

He watched her, accessing her. He could tell that her skin was pale despite the bruises that marred it, and he knew from Rich and Gabriel that her hair was strawberry blonde. He wondered if it had been shaved in any way from her surgery. Her lips were mostly full, peach-colored, and she had delicate eyelashes that drew his attention to the very faint smattering of freckles across her nose and upper cheeks. She was thin, but he could tell that that wasn’t her usual figure—definitely someone who wouldn’t shy away from tasting Gabriel’s obsession with gourmet cooking.

He shook his head. How could he know what she was like just by looking at her? He only had a vague idea about her from Rich and Gabriel. Besides, she would never know his and Gabriel’s true selves anyway…

* * *

_Go away!_

_**I will NEVER leave!** _

_I don’t want you here! You violated me!_

_Kit ran through the darkness, trying to escape Natharia’s voice. She had to get to Rich. Had to warn him. Had to keep him safe. It was the only way she could make amends for what she had let happen._

_**You are ours now. Mine and my father’s. You should be honored that you were picked to hold me.** _

_I won’t be your bitch!_

_She fell to her knees and clutched her head. Why did it hurt? What was happening to her?_

_She cried out when the voice screamed inside her head._

_**I WILL ALWAYS BE INSIDE YOU!** _

_NOOO!!!_

_Kit felt anger well up inside her, then to her surprise she noticed that the voice started to become muffled, like some sort of buffer or barrier was forming to block it from reaching her. She didn’t know how it was happening, or if she herself were even doing it, but the more she willed it to keep continuing, the faster Natharia’s voice faded._

_SHUT THE FUCK UP!!! Kit’s voice screamed out one last time._

_Just before Natharia was sealed away, the evil entity whispered, **Just because you can’t hear me, human, doesn’t mean I can’t still see you…**_

* * *

They stayed until visiting hours for the day were almost over. Loki had gone with Rich to get dinner and Gabriel was looking at his phone, scrolling through various webpages. He had promised not to leave Kit’s side, so he was biding his time.

He had just rolled his eyes at an idiotic article when he heard Kit moan softly. He immediately put his phone away and stood to look at the young woman.

She was breathing shallowly and murmuring something that he couldn’t understand. He wanted to check on her, but went to push the call button for the nurse first. However, he stopped when Kit’s voice asked, “Rich?”

He swiveled his head over at her, surprised. “Kit?”

She looked up at him, her blue-gray eyes ringed in dark bruises. “What are you doing here?” She looked around the room slowly and lifted her arm, turning it and looking at the IV. “Where am I? What happened?”

Gabriel’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “Let me go get—”

“No, Rich. I want to hear it from you, not someone else,” Kit said, reaching out and grasping Gabriel’s arm. She frowned then, looking him up and down. “When did you shave your beard?”

Alarms went off in Gabriel’s head. She could see him! She could see through his glamor! She thought he was Rich!

“I…um…” he stammered. Shit! What was he supposed to do?! He looked at the call button again and quickly pushed it. When she looked at him in question, he said, “The doc said to let him know when you woke up.”

“Rich, what’s going on? You’re acting weird,” Kit said, then tried to sit up. She hissed in pain, and Gabriel rushed to help her, adjusting the bed and pillows to make it easier for her.

“Take it easy,” he said, stepping back. “You’ve been through a lot.”

They both jumped when the nurse’s voice came over the call button. Gabriel told the nurse about Kit being awake, and shortly after her doctor arrived. Gabriel then told her that he would be right back, taking his phone out and blurting out Rob’s name.

The moment he was out in the hall, he took off at a run towards the nurses’ station. He skidded to a stop in front of it and got the attention of one of the nurses on duty.

“I’m going to ask you a question,” he told him, placing his hands on the counter. “And please don’t think it’s crazy.” The nurse gave him an odd look, but nodded. “What color is my hair?”

The man squinted at him. “Is this a joke?”

Gabriel thought quickly. “My boyfriend is adamant that it’s orange, but I say it’s not.”

The nurse raised an eyebrow. “I see.” He tilted his head from side to side. “I dunno, I guess it’s a ruby red?”

Gabriel sighed in relief. “You have _no idea_ how glad that makes me! Thanks, dude!” He whirled around and shot off towards the elevators.

The nurse watched him go, flummoxed.

“Not crazy at all…” he said, shaking his head.

* * *

Rich and Loki were nearly bowled over by their angel when the elevator doors opened onto the ICU floor. If it hadn’t been for the trickster god’s quick reflexes, their food would’ve ended up all over the floor.

“Gabriel!” Rich shouted, jumping back and holding their drinks in his hands above his head. “What the hell?!”

Gabriel rolled his eyes and gave them panicked looks. “Screw the food! Sit down!” he said, pointing to chairs located to the left of the elevators. “This is serious!”

Rich felt his heart clench. “Kit?” he said, striding out and standing in front of the archangel. “Is she awake?”

“Not in the way you’re thinking.”

“So she _is_ awake!” Rich went to head in his friend’s room’s direction, but Gabriel grabbed his arm and steered him towards the chairs.

“Please Rich, hear me out.” He looked into Rich’s face seriously. “It’s important.”

Rich was torn. He glanced down the hallway then to his angel and back again. “Gabriel…”

“ _Please_.”

Rich turned to Loki, whose lips were pressed into a thin, grim line. He seemed to be concerned about how panicked Gabriel was.

“OK, Gabriel,” he said, sitting down in a chair. “OK.”

Gabriel sighed and sat across from him, Loki sitting to their right. He then surprised them when he turned to the trickster god and asked, “Is your glamor still working?”

Loki looked at him like he had lost his mind. “Of course it is. We just came from a cafeteria that was over half-full with people.” He narrowed his eyes. “What are you getting at?”

Gabriel ran a hand down his face. “Mine’s still working too. Shit!”

“Gabriel,” Rich said, laying a hand on the archangel’s knee. “What is it? What do the glamor spells have to do with Kitty?”

“She can see you, can’t she?” Loki said, making them turn their heads towards him. “That’s it, isn’t it?”

“What? No way!” Rich said, patting Gabriel’s knee. “That’s not it, right Gabriel?”

The archangel was silent.

“Gabriel?” Rich said, turning his face back to his angel.

Gabriel looked at him, his face pained.

Rich stood. “N-No. She can’t! How?” He stared between his lovers helplessly. “She’s human!”

“She called me by your name more than once, sweetheart,” Gabriel said, standing and placing his hands on Rich’s trembling shoulders. “She also doesn’t know where she is.” He carefully helped Rich back to his seat. “I think something really bad must’ve happened to her.”

* * *

“Or something really bad is about to happen _because_ of her.”

The human and archangel looked at Loki in shock. “Oh Loki, come on, this isn’t the time for you to start acting all suspicious again. I thought you were past all that!” Gabriel said in disbelief.

Loki set aside the styrofoam boxes that he had been holding in his lap and got up from his chair. “I had, but this changes things.” He looked down into the faces of Rich and Gabriel, not liking their worried expressions. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you,” he said.

“What can she _do_ , Loki?” Rich said, standing once more. He was no longer shaking, wanting to protect his friend. “She is healing from a near-fatal accident and brain surgery!”

“Exactly. She can’t do anything. We’ll go, leave her here.”

Rich just stared at him while Gabriel gasped, “Loki!”

Loki closed his eyes. “I’m not trying to be cruel.” He opened them and faced Rich, but swallowed down the next words he was going to say when he saw the hurt in his human’s eyes.

“I won’t leave her,” Rich said in a small voice. “I love you, Loki, and I don’t want to upset you, but I won’t leave her.”

Loki tensed, then felt Gabriel grip the back of his shirt and lay his head against him.

 _Don’t_ , he heard his angel say in his mind.

Loki relaxed, then calmly gathered Rich into his arms and kissed the side of his head. “I don’t like it, Baby, but I won’t stop you.”

Rich sighed. “Thank you.”

Loki pulled back and looked at him. “I’m not promising that I won’t keep an eye on her though.”

“Speaking of Kit,” Gabriel said, standing. “I think that she might be waiting for you, Rich.”

Rich’s eyes widened. “How are we going to explain to her about us?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, and I'm on the tumblr under the handles datajana and datajanafics, if you're curious or really bored...


	3. Empty Walls

Rich hesitated by the door to Kit’s room. The doctor had just informed him that she was experiencing long-term memory loss, which could happen with head trauma. Rich asked him if she would ever recover, and had been told that it may improve, but each person was different.

He peered through the glass, seeing that she was lying on the bed looking about her room. There was a television that she could’ve watched, but her head was still hurting according to the doctor. She didn’t want any strong medication for it, choosing to take just regular acetaminophen. Rich knew how stubborn she was when it came to following medical advice and he smirked.

_It’s gonna be hell taking care of her as she recovers_ , he thought, then blanched. That’s right! He would have to take care of her! She had no one else to make sure that she would take her medication, to take her to appointments, to be with her if she were to hurt herself again. She’d have to come stay with him.

With him, and Gabriel, and Loki.

_Oh, Kitty. I hope you’ll be able to handle what’s about to be thrown at you_.

He took a deep breath, then walked into her room. Her head turned to him and she smiled widely, and as always he couldn’t help but smile back. However, her smile faded very quickly as she got a better look at his face.

Her face and voice became filled with uncertainty. “Rich?” Her eyes widened in apprehension when he paused his steps towards her. “Your face… You have a… How did you…”

They both jumped when the door to her room closed seemingly on its own. Rich sighed and walked over to close the blinds to the large glass windows that looked out onto the hallway. He turned to look at her once more.

“Kitty,” he said softly. “Remember how I was when I first hired you? How…broken I was? How cut-off from others I was? How I even hardly spoke to Robbie?”

Kit just stared, her eyes zeroed in on the door.

“Kitty?”

She looked at him. “Yes?”

Rich sighed and slowly sat next to her. “Can I take your hand?”

She swallowed, then nodded.

He gently took her smaller hand into his own. “Kitty,” he began. “I have a long, confusing story to tell you. Please, don’t freak out on me, no matter how strange it may sound.” He looked into her eyes. “OK?”

* * *

She studied his expression. He looked so earnest, so sincere like he always did. But she was confused. So much had happened to her since she had awoken. In only a matter of hours, her friend’s appearance had changed twice in a bizarre way. Was she really awake?

But his hand was warm around her own. There was the slight sting and discomfort of the IV in her arm, the typical chill and smell of the hospital air around her. Maybe she really was awake.

“O-OK, Rich. I trust you,” she said quietly. When he smiled in relief at her words, she felt herself relax.

He launched into a complex tale that began a handful of months before they had met. At first, she wanted to tell him to get the hell away from her, to go find a psychiatrist in the hospital to talk to. But as he continued, she saw and heard the love that radiated in his eyes and voice. He became tearful at one point and made no move to wipe them away, letting them fall freely down his face with no shame whatsoever. It moved her. She was also scared, hurt, and humored by parts of his story.

Kit had no recollection of Rich moving from L.A. to Montana. In fact, there were large gaps sprinkled throughout her memory of the four years she had worked for Rich. When he explained how she had ended up at the hospital, that, coupled with his story, had her mind racing and she couldn’t speak.

After he finished speaking Rich asked, “Kitty? Are you alright?”

She took a deep breath. “Y-Yeah,” she said. “That’s quite a story.” She averted her gaze and pulled her hand away slowly.

Rich looked at her in concern. “What are you thinking?”

She rolled her lips inward over her teeth for a moment. “I don’t know what to say really.”

Rich’s voice was soft and kind. “Kit, it’s OK. You can tell me.”

She placed both her hands on her lap. “It’s a lot to take in at one time.” She saw him shift uncomfortably in her peripheral vision and knew that he was worried about her panicking. That thought actually bothered her more for some reason.

He wiped the tears from his face, letting out a stuttered breath. “I understand, and I apologize for just laying it all out there at once. I had a reason for doing it, though.”

She turned back to him. “A reason? What reason?”

Rich then looked behind him. “They’re here you know.”

She tilted her head in puzzlement. “What do you mean?”

He looked back at her. “My guys.”

“Y-You don’t mean…?”

Rich smiled. “Would you like to meet them?”

“Actually,” a playful voice said from near the door. “She’s already met me.”

Kit jerked her head towards it, then gasped when a man who could have been Rich’s twin appeared. “Hiya!” he said, and waved.

She reached out and squeezed Rich’s arm so tightly that her nails dug into his arm.

She was _definitely_ not awake! There was no way this was real! She was CRAZY if she was actually seeing this!

“It’s… I mean…” She stared at the man—no, Gabriel, he had to be Gabriel—for a moment, then looked at Rich. “Am I dreaming?”

He chuckled. “No, Kitty.” He pinched her.

“OW!” she said, pulling away.

“See?”

She rubbed her arm, then pinched herself in the same spot and hissed as pain flared once again. She stared at Rich and his doppelgänger once more.

“I…I guess I am awake.” She grasped the sleeve of Rich’s shirt between her fingers. “So it’s real? Or am I crazy? But how? How did he…?”

“You’re not crazy, Kit.”

“But Rich!”

Rich took her face between his hands gently. “Darlin’, do you trust me?” he said in a calm, soothing voice.

Kit studied his eyes, the warm honey-gold amber that had always seemed so somber now full of joy. His story had to be real.

Right?

“I do,” she answered honestly. How could she not?

“I promise that I’ll explain everything later,” Rich said, lowering his hands.

She moved her eyes to Gabriel and warily scanned the rest of the room. “Is the other one here?”

“Unfortunately,” a miffed voice sounded from Gabriel’s side. The air wavered and Loki’s form appeared. The trickster merely nodded in her direction.

“Ignore him,” Gabriel said, pointing at Loki with his thumb. “He’s a grump sometimes.”

Loki rolled his eyes and crossed his arms before looking away.

“Wow,” Kit said, looking between the three several times. “It’s so strange. You’re all alike, yet… _not_.”

“We like it that way!” Gabriel said. He strode forward and plopped on the other side of Kit’s bed. “So, when do you get out of this place?”

Kit looked at him in bewilderment. An actual fictional character was sitting beside her.

She was speechless.

The archangel grinned. He looked at Rich out of the corner of his eye. “I like her, Baby. Can we keep her?”

Kit nearly choked. What? “Uh, the doc told me if I’m able to keep food down and make it to and from the bathroom on my own, he’d consider letting me go more quickly.”

“What are your plans then?” Rich asked.

Kit chewed her lip. “Well, I guess I find a way back home? Have the doctor contact a neurologist for me to get checkups with there?”

Rich tightened his hold on her hand. “Or you could come to my house. It’s closer, and you wouldn’t be alone.”

Kit looked at him incredulously. “Rich! I couldn’t! I’d be there for a while. I’m not going to intrude on your lives—”

“Rich, can I speak to you for a moment?”

Kit, Rich, and Gabriel looked over at Loki, who was standing ramrod straight at the door. Kit turned her face away, not liking the trickster god’s body language one bit.

Rich frowned then patted Kit’s leg. “I’ll be right back, OK?” He shared a look with Gabriel, who nodded.

* * *

“Does Loki not like me?” Kit asked after Rich and Loki left.

Gabriel considered her question, taking note of her relatively calm demeanor. She was apparently dealing with all this much better than he had expected. He was surprised that she wasn’t screaming for help or drugs right now. “Loki takes a while to warm up to new people,” he answered, choosing his words carefully. “But don’t be afraid to hold your own with him. Rich and I will step in if he tries to give you too hard of a time.”

Kit looked to the side. “I see.”

“Kit,” Gabriel said and waited for her to look at him. “He’s not a bad guy, just… Well, he’s Loki. Deep inside that grumpy, gruff exterior he’s a big, squishy teddy bear.” His eyes softened for a moment as he smiled at his analogy, then blinked and looked at her seriously. “Don’t tell him I told you that!”

She laughed. “Your secret’s safe with me!”

He smiled. “I’m glad to see that you’re doing OK with all of this.”

She looked towards the window. “I’m not going to lie and say that I wasn’t worried for Rich’s, or my, sanity at first. It sounded like something out of a story! But,” she turned back to the archangel. “I felt his emotions.” She placed her hand over her heart. “He’s always been true about how he feels. He could never fake that.”

Gabriel had always known that the woman before him was inquisitive. He cleared his throat. “So you’re saying that seeing me and Grumpy didn’t help persuade you at all, huh?” he said, laughing lightly.

She laughed back. “Well, I guess it helped _a little_.”

“Better than nothing!”

* * *

Loki had taken off at a quick pace down the hall, and Richard had followed suit. _Great_ , he had thought. _Here we go_.

They had ended up in an alleyway next to the hospital and Loki used a bit of his magic to cast a silencing spell. The trickster next turned around and fixed a glare on his human.

“No.”

Rich blinked. “No?”

“No.”

“If you’re saying no to Kit coming to the house—”

“ _Of course_ I’m saying no to that!”

Rich threw his hands up in exasperation. “Dammit, Loki! Do you not think that I’m also worried about her being able to see you guys? If she comes up to the house, gets better, maybe we can all go talk to the Boss, see what she thinks!”

Loki glowered. “It may be too late by then!”

“So what? We leave her to suffer, maybe die, just because you’re suspicious? Loki,” Rich said, stepping forward and holding out his hands in supplication. “Please, she’s my friend. She helped me hold on when I…” He curled his hands into fists and dropped them to his sides. “When I…”

Loki reached forward as Rich nearly broke down. “Rich,” he said, holding him up against him. “I don’t want _you or Gabriel_ to get hurt! To suffer! You’re both my world.”

Rich looked into his face, his eyes wet with tears. “I don’t want to lose _anyone_ , Loki.”

Loki squeezed his eyes shut and crushed Rich to him. “OK,” he said. “But as soon as we arrive back home, I’m going to see the Guardian, whether she’s better or not.”

“I’m so sorry, Loki,” Rich choked out.

“Don’t be sorry, Rich. Don’t ever be sorry.”

* * *

Over the next few days, Rich and Gabriel visited Kit while she recuperated in ICU. Loki chose to stay in the hotel room that they had booked for the duration of their stay, much to Rich’s disappointment.

“I’m sorry, I just can’t right now,” the trickster god had told him.

When Gabriel discovered that the hospital food was beyond disgusting, he had brought Kit something from a nearby restaurant.

“Thank you, Gabriel,” she said after he handed it to her. She took the container of pasta out of the bag and smiled happily. “Italian is one of my favorites!” She opened it and took a big whiff of the aroma that wafted out. “I’m happy to be allowed to eat solid foods finally! If I end up eating it all, don’t judge me!”

Gabriel and Rich, sitting in chairs on either side of the bed, shared a small smile. She wouldn’t be able to eat it all, but at least she had an appetite. After the doctor had told them how malnourished she was, it was good to see that her digestive system wasn’t damaged from lack of food.

“So,” Kit said, swallowing a forkful of noodles. “At your house… Will I be sleeping on the couch? Does it have a bed?”

Rich shook his head. “There’s a guest bedroom, actually. You’ll be a lot more comfortable there.”

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. “I wasn’t expecting you to turn the office space into a bedroom. Then again,” she glanced over at Gabriel. “I guess the master suite _is_ big enough for three people.”

Blushing, Rich smacked her playfully on the knee. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”

She smirked. “You should know by now that my mind lives there a good deal of the time.”

Gabriel looked between them and grinned roguishly. “Yes Rich,” he said, leering at his human. “I distinctly remember a conversation between you two about flavored condoms.”

Kit burst out laughing, covering her mouth because she’d been mid-chew. Rich covered his face, shaking his head. Gabriel joined Kit in her laughter, clearly enjoying the sight of his lover fighting to hold back his own chuckles.

“What did we decide was the best?” Rich said, looking up and trying to keep a straight face.

Gabriel turned his head to Kit, smiling broadly. “You guys debated for a while. You toasted over tortilla chips and guac, right?”

Kit opened her mouth to answer, then paled. Her eyes darted around the room and she dropped her fork, making Rich and Gabriel call out her name in concern.

She looked at them and her eyes welled with tears. “I don’t know,” she whimpered. “I don’t know!” Her voice increased a bit in volume. “I remember the restaurant, us talking, but…”

“Shh, Kitty, it’s OK—”

“It’s not!” she exclaimed at Rich. She held her head in her hands. “It’s like my mind isn’t my own anymore.”

Gabriel took the food she had been eating from her lap and set it aside. He looked over at Rich and gestured with his head over his shoulder towards the door.

* * *

Rich shook his head. No, he couldn’t handle this by himself at the moment.

“Kit,” he said softly, turning his attention back to his friend. “Darlin’, listen to me.” He made no move to touch her, just spoke in a calm, soothing manner. “I know that you’re scared. I know that you’re frustrated.” He watched as the tears falling from her eyes formed wet spots on the white sheet pooled in her lap. “But you’re not alone, Kitty.”

She sniffled and drew in a ragged breath. “I’m a mess, Rich.” She raised her head and his heart ached at the misery that swam in her eyes. “Why did this happen to me? What did I do?”

“Kit,” Rich said, then gave in to the urge to hold her. She gasped, but let him take her in his arms. The floodgates opened, and she broke down and cried against his chest.

Rich held her as she sobbed, hating each and every cry that he heard. He also wondered why this was happening to her. What had his sweet Kit done to deserve this? It couldn’t possibly have anything to do with the fact that she could see through glamor spells, could it?

He closed his eyes at the thought. It was impossible! Like he’d told Loki, she was human! Wouldn’t Gabriel and Loki have sensed if she weren’t? Wouldn’t she have seen other characters walking around Los Angeles? She’d lived there for years!

* * *

Gabriel watched Rich comfort Kit, his face filled with compassion for his new friend. Yes, he had decided that she was his friend, maybe before they had even spoken for the first time a few days prior. He had watched as she helped to keep Rich from giving up, taken care of him, listened to him talk about nonsense when he drank too much. She had encouraged him to speak with Rob for their project and to work on it, to direct, to sing, to not give up on the conventions.

He—and Loki—owed her a debt. He would help Rich take care of her, and he would do his damndest to get their stubborn trickster god to see it too.

He just hoped that nothing else would happen to make matters worse.

* * *

Two days later, Gabriel helped Kit from her wheelchair into the front seat of the jeep. The doctor was satisfied enough with her improvement to allow her to go home, and had given Rich a thorough rundown on what she should and should not do while convalescing. She’d been prescribed an anticonvulsant for a week and told to have follow-up appointments with a neurologist.

Gabriel buckled her seatbelt and checked to make sure she was comfortable before closing the door. He gave the wheelchair back to the nurse, then went to sit in the backseat beside Loki. He turned his head as Rich opened the driver’s side door and got in.

“We have everything?” he asked, pulling the seat belt over his shoulder and clicking it securely at his hip. “I gassed up before driving over.”

“As far as I know,” Gabriel said. He glanced over at Loki. “We get everything from the hotel?”

Loki gave a slight nod, keeping his face completely expressionless. Disapproval was radiating off of him in waves.

Gabriel sighed, then looked back at Rich. “Guess we’re ready to go, Babe!”

The archangel watched as Rich tried to catch Loki’s eye through the rearview mirror, but Loki suddenly found the view outside his window fascinating. Deciding to just let him have his way, Rich turned the key in the ignition and drove away from the hospital.

It was going to be a long trip.

* * *

They stopped at a gas station two hours later so Kit could use the restroom. Rich waited nearby in case she called out while Gabriel and Loki stayed in the jeep outside.

The archangel looked at his lover out of the corner of his eye. Loki had been subdued the entire time, not joining in any of the conversations that had taken place between the other three. Gabriel was worried that there was going to be a lot of tension in their relationship for a while, and he was racking his brain trying to figure out a way to help them all get along as peacefully as possible.

“I can feel you staring at me,” Loki grumbled. “What are you thinking about over there?”

Gabriel kept himself from jumping. “I’m not thinking anything.”

Loki looked over at him and narrowed his fawn-colored eyes. “You’ve gotten terrible at lying.”

“I’ll work on it,” Gabriel half-joked. He sighed when Loki’s face remained blank. “Loki—”

“No,” Loki stopped him. “I’m not going to talk about it.”

“Please, Sugar,” Gabriel said, turning his body to face him, “I don’t want us all to be angry with each other. You, me, and Rich—we’re not just three people living together.” He stared into Loki’s eyes and placed a hand upon both their hearts. “ _We’re so much more_.”

Loki covered Gabriel’s hand with his own and squeezed it. “Angel,” he began. “Don’t you see? _That’s_ why I’m worried about all this. _That’s_ why I’m against her coming to our home.”

Gabriel realized right then that he was caught in the middle.

_Fuck_.

* * *

When they pulled up to their house, Kit was asleep. Loki immediately got out and stalked around to the back porch. Rich and Gabriel exchanged a grim look, then the archangel got out of the jeep to make his way to the front passenger’s side door.

Rich leaned over and gently shook Kit’s arm. “Kitty,” he said softly. “Hey, Kitty. We’re here.”

She mumbled and turned her head away from him.

Rich smiled and attempted to wake her once more. “Kitty,” he said a bit louder. “You need to wake up.”

She opened her eyes and looked straight at Gabriel, who was smiling at her from outside the jeep’s window. She blinked, startled, and sat up quickly. She then groaned and closed her eyes again as dizziness hit her from moving so suddenly.

She heard the door opening, feeling hands supporting her back, arms, and shoulders.

“Kit!”

“Kitty! Are you alright?”

“I’m OK,” she said. “Just feel weird.” She swallowed and hesitantly opened her eyes to see Rich and Gabriel both looking at her in concern. “I shouldn't move so fast.”

“Here, let me help you,” Gabriel said, unbuckling her seatbelt and lifting her in his arms in a bridal carry. She flung her arms around his neck, afraid that he would drop her. He chuckled, saying, “I’d never let you fall, Kit-Kat.”

Kit’s eyes widened at Gabriel’s impromptu nickname, and Rich’s eyes crinkled with humor. “I guess Gabriel’s adopted you into his circle of friends, Kitty.”

She smiled. She didn’t have that many friends to begin with, so it touched her that the archangel had accepted her so quickly. She gazed up at Gabriel and said, “Thank you. I’ll work on giving you a nickname too.”

Gabriel laughed. “I look forward to hearing it. Now,” he said, turning towards the house. “Let’s get you settled, shall we?”

They had all found it odd that she had only had her purse in the car with her. Since she had no memory of leaving L.A., they could only guess as to the reasons why. Rich had let her order a small selection of clothing online from the hospital, and judging by the few boxes stacked by the front door, they had already arrived. After going up the stairs, Rich unlocked the door and they walked inside.

Kit looked around and hummed in appreciation. “I don’t quite remember what the pictures looked like, but it’s beautiful, Rich.”

“Gabriel decorated it,” Rich replied. He motioned to the couch. “You want to lie here, or would you rather go rest in bed?”

She thought for a moment. “I’ve been asleep for the past hour or so. The couch is OK.”

Gabriel carefully set her down, then snapped his fingers. She looked at him strangely.

“Just put all your clothes in your room,” he said nonchalantly.

A look of comprehension came over her face. “Oh!”

He grinned. “We use a ‘quota’ of our powers during the day, just enough so that we sleep during the night. If we use too much at one time, we drop where we are. That happened a lot at first.”

Rich snickered. “Gabriel passed out cold once because of teleporting. He didn’t want to wait for me to bring some pizza to the cabin in Vancouver. Appeared in the rental right next to me. Got one word out, then went limp as a noodle.”

“I was hungry, OK?!”

They both turned when Kit started to giggle. “I’m guessing that there’s never a dull moment here,” she said, smiling. Her eyes crinkled with mirth.

Rich and Gabriel looked at one another. “It’s definitely not boring,” Rich agreed.

They heard the porch door slam, then heavy footsteps make their way to the kitchen. Loki appeared with a sour look on his face. “The yard needs to be mowed,” he said.

Everyone just looked at him.

“What?” he said.

“Nothing,” Gabriel said.

Loki noticed Kit on the couch but ignored acknowledging her. “Let me know when dinner’s ready.”

“It’s my turn to mow,” Rich said. “Let me go change—”

“I want to do it,” Loki said firmly. “You have other things to take care of.” He then turned around and went back outside.

Kit drew her legs to her chest and leaned her forehead on her knees. “I’m sorry.”

Rich sighed. “You did nothing wrong, Kit.”

Hoping to change the mood, Gabriel went to the fridge and started rummaging around. “Do you like tacos, Kit-Kat?”

She raised her head and gave him a half-smile. “They’re actually another of my favorites.”

“Good deal!”

* * *

When Loki said “mowing” he had actually meant that he was going to open the portal to the Summit.

He stood in the middle of the field behind the house and willed it to reveal itself. He waited, expecting the swirling azure aperture to come into existence. However, only a hollow echo filled his ears, and he was knocked back by an invisible force.

Blocked.

_He knew it._

_**Her.** _

* * *

Rich had decided to keep Kit company on the couch while Gabriel started dinner. They all jumped and swiveled their heads around when Loki suddenly stormed inside the house. The quick motion gave Kit vertigo, and Rich quickly steadied her as she clenched her eyes shut. Gabriel turned the eye off on the stove apprehensively.

“We’re cut off!” Loki exclaimed.

They all looked at him incredulously, and Loki’s expression darkened.

“I said we’re cut off!!”

“Loki, we’re not following,” Gabriel said calmly. He took a cautious step forward.

Loki jerked his head in his direction and Gabriel stopped. “I couldn’t get it to open.”

Rich had a sinking feeling. “The portal?”

Loki nodded. “I tried to open it, and it knocked me back on my ass.”

Gabriel sucked in a breath. “But that means our world is closed off!”

“Exactly,” Loki said, glaring at Kit.

Rich looked at Kit, who had managed to open her eyes. “Loki,” he said, shaking his head. “Even you can’t possibly think that—”

“Just take me back, Rich,” Kit said.

“What?” Rich gripped her arms. “Kit…”

“I’ll be fine. I can take a bus, go back to my apartment. There are good doctors in L.A. Maybe one of the people at work can come check on me every day.”

Rich glanced over at Loki, who still glared at them. He then looked away and sighed. “I’ll be right back, Kit. Stay here with Gabriel.”

She laid her hands on his arms worriedly. “Rich, what are you going to do?”

He turned back to her and patted her arms reassuringly. “Just stay, OK?”

“But—”

“Kit. Please.”

She nodded. “Alright.”

He squeezed her arms again before getting up and rounding the couch. He walked by Loki, saying, “Outside.”

* * *

Gabriel watched as Loki schooled his face and turned to follow Rich. He then looked at Kit, who had paled considerably.

“Kit!” he said, rushing to the couch and jumping over its back to sit beside her. “Don’t pass out on me, OK?”

“They’re going to fight, because of me!” she said, covering her mouth and choking back a sob.

He pulled her forward and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “I don’t like it either,” he said, just as worried. “But you’re not to blame. I know you’re not! Loki has always been overprotective and one to jump to conclusions. He’s gotten better, but it’s deeply ingrained in him. He’s not perfect, none of us are. Rich has helped change us, but…” Dammit! How could he explain how character profiles worked?

“It’s OK, you don’t have to give me all the details. I understand,” she mumbled against his shirt. She shuddered and struggled to keep from crying.

He patted her back. He always knew that Rich had hired her for being clever and quick. “I’m glad that you’re here, ya know,” he said, trying to lift her spirits.

She pulled back, her eyes red, face flushed. “You are?”

“Yeah,” he said, smiling sincerely. “You’re funny and—” he laughed when she made a face. “NO not like that! I mean you have a sense of humor that makes you fun to be around! And you don’t mind talking! Rich and Loki talk, but they get annoyed after a while. You banter back and forth with me, and it’s… Well, it’s fun!”

Kit wiped at her eyes and gave the archangel a small smile. “I don’t usually talk a lot because it annoys other people, so I appreciate you saying that.”

Gabriel couldn’t help but be smug. “See? We were meant to be friends!”

As she laughed in response, he turned his head slightly in the direction of the back door.

_Please remember what I told you, Loki…_

* * *

Rich rounded on Loki the moment the trickster closed the porch door. “What the everloving _fuck_ , Loki?!”

Loki didn’t hesitate to reply. “You know why.”

Rich covered his face with his hands. “I’m fed up. Just fed up.”

Loki crossed his arms angrily. “Welcome to the club.”

“Oh, I think you’ve been fed up from the start,” Rich said, dropping his hands and glaring at him. “I think you’ve been fed up for months now!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Loki said, narrowing his eyes.

“When we were in Vancouver, when Kit called me. You said then that you were suspicious.”

“And?”

Rich scoffed. “What is your problem, Loki? Is this how you’re going to be with everything? Are you going to see trouble around every corner? Are you going to be, to be…” He turned his head away.

“Say it, Rich,” Loki said, stepping forward. “I can take it.”

Rich looked at him from the corner of his eye. “No.”

“Say it.”

“I said no.”

“Fine.”

Rich faced him. “I don’t want to tell you because, unlike you, I don’t like hurting people.”

“Hurting people?” Loki mocked. “ _Hurting people?_ ” He threw his arms up and laughed hollowly. “Oh, that’s rich!”

Rich’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Alright then,” he said. He walked forward and bit out, “You’re. Afraid.”

Loki grew quiet.

Deathly quiet.

Rich refused to look away.

“So what if I am,” Loki finally said.

“You don’t have a reason to be.”

“You and Gabriel are my reasons.”

“And we love you for that, we do,” Rich said, a bit of his anger melting from his voice. “But Loki, you can’t be wary of everything. You can’t just assume the worse of each and every person.”

“But I have proof!” Loki insisted. “She can see us! And the portal!”

“But it’s circumstantial!” Rich countered. “You don’t have all the facts! There has to be a logical reason, Loki!”

Loki shook his head. “I can’t risk it, Rich! Not after…” The memory of Rich lying in the bed at the Summit flashed through his mind, Gabriel missing for days. “You don’t understand…”

“Then help me understand, Loki,” Rich pleaded, reaching out and grasping Loki’s shirt. “I don’t want us to be this way!”

Loki lay a hand on the side of Rich’s face. “I’m afraid to,” he said, his voice shaking.

“If you can’t even tell _me_ ,” Rich said, his eyes watering. “Then who can you tell, Loki?”

Loki turned his gaze away. “I can’t do this right now.”

Rich pulled back. “Then I guess we’re back where we started, aren’t we.”

Loki’s eyes settled on the small tool shed set to the right of the porch. “I’m really going to go mow now.”

“Loki…”

“Go to Gabriel. I’m sure he’s worried.”

Loki stalked away, and all Rich could do was let him.

* * *

Dinner was a quiet affair. Rich, Gabriel, and Kit sat at the table and Loki ate in a recliner in the living room. Gabriel took care of cleaning up the kitchen and Rich settled Kit in the guest bedroom.

“Rich, I meant it when I said that I’d go back home,” Kit said as Rich propped pillows behind her. “I can literally feel the tension between all three of you. It’s not right.”

Rich pulled the comforter over her and handed her a glass of water with her medication. “Take that,” he said. He waited until she had done so, then set her glass on the nightstand. “It’s OK, Kitty. We’ll work through this.” He sighed. “Somehow.”

Kit laid her hand on his. “I’ll do my best to get better as quickly as possible, so you three can get back to being happy.”

“You get better at the rate that you need to,” Rich said seriously. “Don’t push yourself, you hear me?”

She smiled. “I really do thank you for letting me stay here, I just feel bad for causing all this animosity.”

“You let me worry about that.” He stood and kissed her on the cheek. “If you need anything, just call me.” He indicated the cell he had gotten her. Her own phone hadn’t been found in the wreckage for some unknown reason.

“I’ll be sure to.”

“And _don’t_ get up to try to move too far by yourself. I know the bathroom is just down the hall, but if you need anything from the kitchen please let me know.”

“Yes, _Dad_.”

He smiled. “Careful, I _can_ ground you if I wanted to. I have an archangel on my side.”

“Gabriel is my buddy now. You might be surprised,” she said, sticking her tongue out at him.

“Can’t say I would be,” he said, shaking his head. “Get some rest.”

“Night, Rich.”

“Night, Darlin’.”

He left and closed the door, then padded his way down the hallway to the living room. He stopped at the sight of Loki putting blankets on the couch. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“Getting ready to go to sleep,” the trickster said, laying a blanket down and pushing it under the back cushions.

“You’re sleeping in _here?_ ”

Loki looked up. “Well, I assumed—”

“You assumed wrong,” Gabriel’s voice came from behind them. “We made a rule about not going to bed angry, remember?”

Rich felt his heart fill with love for his angel. “That’s right,” he said, turning back to Loki. “We did.”

Loki paused, a pillow in his hand. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure, Loki. No matter how angry or upset I get, I’ll always love you, you stubborn idiot.”

Loki dropped the pillow and walked around the couch to stand in front of him. “This doesn’t mean that I’m still—”

Rich sighed. “Just shut up and kiss me.” He surged forward and pressed his lips to the trickster’s, and Loki kissed him back. Gabriel watched them both with a happy grin.

“Hey,” he said, walking up and wrapping his arms around them. “Why don’t we take this to the bedroom?”

Rich broke his kiss with Loki. “We’ll have to be quiet.”

Loki smirked. “I can take care of that.”

“I like the way you think, Sugar,” Gabriel said.

* * *

The moment their bedroom door was closed they were on each other. It had felt like forever since they had touched. Clothes were tugged off, tossed haphazardly and carelessly on the floor. Kisses were given and taken, hands roamed and caressed, names were gasped and sighed.

Rich had barely set his glasses on the nightstand when Loki grasped his arms, whirled him around, and crushed him to his chest. “I have plans for us,” he whispered. He nipped at Rich’s lips, and the human moaned. “Do you want to know what they are?”

“I hope they include me,” Gabriel purred, draping himself against Rich’s back. He kissed the side of Rich’s neck and rubbed his stiffened cock up the side of his hip. “I want to play too.”

Loki raised a hand and gripped the archangel’s jaw with tender fingers. “Oh, you’ll get to play, Angel.”

Gabriel’s eyes twinkled. “I will?” he said, smiling suggestively. “In what way?”

“Stay right there and see.”

He placed his hands on Rich’s shoulders. “Lay on your back on the bed, Baby,” he instructed. Rich smiled, gave him a slow kiss, then crawled to lay in the middle of the bed.

“Can I play with him now, Loki?” Gabriel asked, looking at Rich like he was a delectable meal. He licked his lips, eyes roving over Rich’s body, taking in how aroused he was.

“You’re wanting to get a taste of that hard cock of his, aren’t you?” Loki said, watching Gabriel. His breath quickened as he saw looks of hunger appear on his lovers’ faces. “Do you want to suck it? Feel him drip on your tongue?”

Rich moaned and Gabriel cursed under his breath.

Loki let them gaze at each other, let their desire for one another build.

“What are you waiting for?”

Gabriel dove for the bed. Rich spread his legs, giving the angel easy access to his weeping cock. He tossed his head back as Gabriel put his lips to him and lapped at the precum, the archangel moaning in delight at the salty taste that he loved. Rich tangled his fingers in his hair, urging him to keep going.

Loki gripped his own cock and stroked it slowly. They were always this way with each other, wanting to drive each other wild. He walked slowly around the bed, watching as Gabriel sucked Rich’s cockhead into his mouth while he cupped and rolled the human’s testicles in the palm of his hand. The archangel then used his other hand to caress his taint, trailing his fingers along it gently.

Gabriel released Rich and panted against his shaft. “You like that Baby?”

Rich could only shudder in response.

Loki crawled onto the bed and straddled one of Rich’s legs. He held his cock towards Gabriel’s mouth. “Suck mine too,” he said.

Gabriel eagerly wrapped a hand around Loki’s dick, then grasped Rich’s in the other. He guided both the heads to his mouth and slid and swirled his tongue around them at the same time, moaning in delight. Their precum flowed over his taste buds, and their combined flavor increased his desire.

Rich and Loki groaned in pleasure at the feel of their cockheads touching and Gabriel’s hot, wet mouth on them. They pushed their hips forwards, wanting more of Gabriel’s tongue. Gabriel raised his head up and opened his mouth wider, then, adjusting the angle of his head, he pressed them both into his mouth. They couldn’t go in very far, but he was able to create some suction, and both trickster and human cried out at the sensation.

“Gabriel!”

“Angel!”

Gabriel worked his hands up and down their lengths, loving the feel of having both his lovers’ cocks in his mouth and hands. If he could he would’ve deep-throated them both at the same time.

In fact…

He let them go with a wet slurp, then immediately swallowed Rich all the way down. Before Rich could finish moaning, he lifted his head then did the same to Loki.

Then he went back to Rich.

Then Loki.

Then back to Rich once more.

He alternated until they all lost count of how many times he had done so.

Finally, Loki held Gabriel’s head to his cock and said, nearly out of breath, “I think… our angel… has earned… a hard… fuck...” He turned eyes heavy with lust to Rich, who looked just as wrecked. “Don’t… you… Baby...?”

“Let me… catch… my breath...” Rich wheezed. His legs were shaking and his heart was beating heavily in his chest. “Damn… Gabriel…”

Gabriel slid his lips slowly off of Loki. He sat back on his knees and surveyed them smugly. “I always make sure that my guys are satisfied,” he said, smiling happily.

Loki took a deep breath. “Just get that hole of yours ready, smartass,” he said, then leaned over Rich to help him sit up.

Gabriel chuckled and asked, “Who’s getting sloppy seconds?”

Rich grinned. “I was hoping to make your face sloppy, actually.”

“Fuck, Rich,” Gabriel moaned, his dick hardening even further at the thought. “Getting fucked _and_ a facial?” He mimed wiping a tear. “I’m so happy…”

“You better be getting ‘so prepped’ or you won’t be happy at all,” Loki chided.

Gabriel quickly rolled to his side, reaching behind himself to thrust a grace-lubed finger into his orifice. As he worked it in, Loki and Rich watched, running their hands up and down each other’s chest.

“Does it feel good, Angel?” Loki asked, seeing Gabriel already two fingers deep into his hole.

“Fuck yes it feels good,” Gabriel moaned. He pumped them steadily, then plunged a third inside. “You know I like to be fingered.”

“Maybe we’ll need to put something bigger in there soon.”

Gabriel whimpered. “Maybe both of you?”

Loki smirked. “If Rich wants to.”

Rich shuddered. “Fuck…”

Gabriel’s hand stilled, then he pulled his fingers out of his stretched hole and his head fell to the bed. “Loki…” he whined.

“Such a bratty baby,” Loki said in exasperation. He kissed Rich softly before crawling over to Gabriel. “Come on then,” he said, turning him to his back. “Let’s get my cock in you.”

Gabriel eagerly spread his legs then wrapped them around Loki’s waist. “I like having your cock in me,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows for emphasis.

“You like having a lot of things in you,” Loki said, thrusting into him and bending over so he could pound him into the mattress. “My cock, Rich’s cock, toys, our fingers, your fingers. You like it all, don’t you Angel?”

Gabriel dug his fingers into the comforter below him. “Yes! Shit! I like it! I love it! I want it!”

Rich was stroking his cock, his breathing starting to increase once more. The mattress was rocking from Loki’s movements into Gabriel, and Rich was glad that Loki had placed a silencing spell into the bedroom’s walls. He could only imagine what Kit would think if she heard them all ravishing each other.

Well, he _knew_ what she would think. It’s just the fact that they’d have to look at each other the next day...

He shook his head. _This isn’t the time to be thinking of that, Rich!_

Gabriel nearly screamed as Loki gripped the archangel’s ass and lifted his lower body off the bed to ram himself into him even harder, his cock dragging firmly against his prostate with each stroke. The sound of the comforter’s fabric ripping was heard, the shreds gripped tightly in Gabriel’s fingers.

“Lo-LOKIIII!!!” Gabriel wailed. He tossed his head from side to side. “So gooood…”

“Angel,” Loki huffed out. “My beautiful Angel…” He turned his head and caught Rich’s eye. “Paint our angel’s face, Baby. Make him even more gorgeous.” He looked back at Gabriel and increased his thrusts, and Gabriel started to beg.

“Please! I wanna cum! Please!”

“Don’t you want Rich’s cum too, Angel?”

Gabriel’s half-lidded eyes darkened. “Yes! Please! I want it!”

“So greedy… Wanting so much cum, Angel,” Loki said.

Rich came to kneel over Gabriel’s face, frantically jerking at his cock. Gabriel’s eyes darted to him, and he opened his mouth. Rich moaned. It was so filthy he could barely stand it.

“Give it to him, Rich. He wants it,” Loki said, gyrating his hips just so. Gabriel moaned wantonly.

“Almost, Gabriel,” Rich moaned. “Almost.” His hand stripped his throbbing length faster above the archangel’s eager face.

Gabriel’s eyes widened, then his back arched as Loki slammed into him violently. Hot white strings of cum left his body and shot all over his chest. Rich lost it, and ropes of his own release fell upon the archangel’s face, some of it right into his mouth, which Gabriel eagerly swallowed and savored. Loki continued to move inside of Gabriel for a short moment more before he, too, went over the edge, coating the inside of Gabriel with proof of his climax.

They all collapsed to the bed, sated beyond belief.

“Wow,” Gabriel said sleepily. “Where the hell did _that_ come from?”

“Can someone just snap us clean? I’m too exhausted to move,” Rich said.

Loki lifted his hand and snapped lazily.

“Thank you,” Rich and Gabriel said at the same time.

“I need someone to help me get under the blanket,” Gabriel complained.

“Take a nap. You’ll be fine,” Rich said.

“But—”

“Go the fuck to sleep,” Loki groused.

“Asshole. I love you, too,” Gabriel pouted.

“I know.”

* * *

Loki stood watching his human and angel curled together on the bed. They had had a round of lazy sex after their nap. Gabriel had taken Rich while Loki had had the archangel at the same time, and together they had slowly pulled one hard, delicious orgasm from each other. Then, not wanting to be apart from one another, they had all three ended up sleeping stretched out sideways across the bed in a pile of sweaty, naked limbs.

He sighed and waved a hand so that the light blanket that covered the pair was tucked more securely around them. He didn’t like what was happening any more than Rich or Gabriel did, but what choice did he have? They were essentially on their own now that they had no way of speaking to their Guardian. He had been right in being wary of her explanations of what had happened to them at the Bunker. It had been too simple.

He wondered how long they could all do this dance day after day. No matter how much they wanted to follow their “rules,” it would eventually take its toll on all of them.

Something, or someone, would have to give...

He turned his head when he heard the floorboards in the hallway outside their room creak.

Now what?


	4. World Behind My Wall

Kit couldn’t sleep. It was so very quiet in the house.

Too quiet.

If Gabriel or Loki were responsible for that, she wouldn’t have been surprised.

Kit had woken up several times since she had fallen asleep. She had lain on her back and stared into the darkness, her mind replaying the scene of Loki storming into the kitchen more than once. She just couldn’t understand it! She had barely spoken to him, yet he had formed a negative opinion of her from the start! Gabriel had said to hold her ground with him, but Loki was so intimidating, and he looked at her with such animosity in his eyes that Kit just couldn’t find it in herself to stand up to him.

She couldn’t stand it, and she knew better. She had always come to the aid of the little ones at the foster home when they were being bullied, even if it meant taking a few licks for it in return. The adults in charge never believed her over the instigators after the fights, but she never stopped protecting those younger than herself.

Kit then frowned. Why could she remember _those_ memories from so long ago but not the ones from just a few years or months back? It was frustrating; no matter how many times it was explained to her, it just didn’t make sense!

Finally growing tired of the quiet and her thoughts nagging at her, Kit decided to find something to focus her attention on. She turned her head and reached out her hand to fumble for the phone at her bedside to check the time. It was still a good while until morning, and she didn’t want to wake Rich just so he could walk the floors with her.

Kit debated on filling the hours by browsing online, then remembered that it would most likely give her a splitting headache. Damn! What to do?

A few minutes later, Kit closed the guest bedroom door behind her softly. She used the light of the phone so she could make her way down the hall. Walking slowly, she winced as a floorboard creaked beneath one of her feet. She stood still, waiting for one of the three other occupants of the house to appear. Her heart started to beat harder in her chest, and Kit held her breath without thinking about it.

When nothing happened, Kit continued, careful to keep quiet. Still using the cell phone to guide her, she soon padded her way to the kitchen.

Thinking that some warm milk might help her sleep, Kit started walking towards the fridge.

“What are you doing?”

The unexpected voice made Kit jump and drop the phone, which bounced on the floor away from her. Her arms flailed and dark spots swam across her vision as a huge wave of vertigo hit her. She could only make out vague shapes in the dark and knew that the fridge was only a few feet to her left. She stumbled in its direction, but her knees buckled.

Kit began to fall and prepared herself for pain. However, a pair of arms caught her and stopped her descent. She kept her eyes closed, wrapping her arms around the ones that were holding her.

“My head,” she gasped. “I’m gonna faint.”

There was a loud, exasperated sigh. “Come on then.”

The next thing Kit knew she was laid out on the couch, her feet elevated on a couple of pillows. A lamp had been turned on, and she could barely make out that someone was kneeling beside her.

“Stay here,” they said, and started to rise.

Kit quickly grabbed their arm. “Don’t.”

They stopped, not speaking. She saw their head tilt down and look at her hand, and Kit started to get an idea of who had helped her.

Oh.

“Loki?” she asked cautiously.

She felt him remove her hand and place it beside her on the couch. “I’m going to get Rich,” he said in a low monotone.

Kit blinked a few times, her vision coming back into focus as he stood and walked towards the hall. “Wait!” she called out, attempting to push herself up on her elbows. She squeezed her eyes shut when it made her head hurt, then leaned back down with a groan.

“Will you just lay there and do as I say!” she heard him snap.

She felt a burst of anger. “Will you just let me say ‘Thank you’ without being an arrogant ass?!” she retorted. “It’s not hard!”

He didn’t reply, but Kit did hear him stomp down the hall.

Well, at least she got her point across.

* * *

At breakfast, Kit was still being chastised for getting up and walking about on her own. Rich gave her a stern scolding while Gabriel watched and smiled like the older sibling who enjoyed seeing the younger one get in trouble.

Loki and Rich had had a mild squabble about Loki being careless about her condition. Kit had stepped in, reminding Rich that Loki _had_ kept her from falling. It didn’t smooth it over entirely—Rich reiterated that Loki was the cause of her nearly falling in the first place, despite Loki pointing out the fact that Kit shouldn't have been up alone to start with—but at least it didn’t escalate.

Kit spent most of the morning on the couch. When she wasn’t napping, Gabriel would talk and joke with her, get her snacks, or read to her. They had discovered that they both had an affinity for science fiction and fantasy novels, and were enjoying dissecting every chapter of the book he picked out to read to her.

Rich listened to them talk animatedly. He was reading along with them, and it warmed his heart seeing his dearest friend and one of his loves becoming close. It meant a lot to him.

He moved his head towards one of the front porch windows; Loki was washing the jeep in the driveway. The trickster had sought out every outside chore he could find to stay out of the house. Rich wondered if he had done so not only to stay away from Kit, but to also stop from having any more potential arguments with him.

He hated arguing with him.

“Rich?”

He turned his head and saw Gabriel and Kit regarding him.

“Yeah?” he said.

Gabriel’s eyes softened. “Hey,” he said softly, then leaned forward to place a hand on Rich’s knee. “You know, he’s—”

“Let’s get on to the next part before Kit gets sleepy again,” Rich said, settling into the recliner that he had pulled over next to the couch.

Gabriel squeezed his knee. “Alright,” he said, but didn’t remove his eyes from Rich’s face. “Alright.”

* * *

Late that afternoon, Gabriel helped Kit remove her bandages. But she was afraid; she had yet to see herself without them. She sat nervously on a chair in the bathroom with Gabriel behind her as he slowly and delicately unwound the gauze from around her head. Kit kept her eyes closed, scared to look into the mirror as her scalp was revealed.

“I’m done, Kit-Kat,” Gabriel said softly at last.

She didn’t move.

“Kit?”

She shook her head. “I can’t, Gabriel.”

“Why?”

“I look horrible. My face is all splotchy with bruises and stitches already. And—” Her lower lip started to tremble as her voice choked off.

“Here,” Gabriel said, and she felt his fingers touch her forehead lightly. She gasped as tingles broke out across her face.

“Did you—”

“Not in the way you think,” he said, a smile in his voice. “I can’t use that much juice or I’ll be out before dinner. But, I think you’ll be surprised.”

Kit held out her hand, gratitude filling her when he clasped it. “Here I go,” she said, then took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

She was completely bald. Her long, strawberry-blonde hair had been shaved when the neurosurgeon removed the cerebral edema that had threatened her life. Fifty stitches ran down the center of her scalp, and she knew somewhere near her right temple a “burr hole” had been drilled into her skull by the neurosurgeon.

Raising her other hand, she touched her now bruise-free face. “You took them away,” she breathed in awe. Her eyes filled with tears as she stood and turned to him. “Gabriel! You healed me!” She threw herself into his arms and burst into tears.

Gabriel caught her, wrapping his arms around her. “Whoa! Careful! Don’t fall!” he said. He patted her back, attempting to calm her sobs. “Shh, sweetie.”

Kit held onto him. “Thank you, Gabriel. It’s been so hard for me to look at myself,” she said, pulling back. It really had been, and she didn’t know why. She didn’t recognize herself; not only physically, but mentally. She couldn’t explain it.

Gabriel used a washcloth to dab away her tears. “I don’t see why. You’re a pretty girl, Kit-Kat.”

Kit punched him playfully in the arm. “Shut up.”

* * *

When they went to bed that night, neither Rich nor Loki objected when Gabriel claimed the middle spot. They climbed into bed beside him, wrapping their arms around his chest and torso so that they overlapped.

Gabriel folded his arms over theirs and kissed each of them in turn. “I’m glad that we all get to be together at night at least,” he said, attempting to address their current situation. He felt Rich and Loki sigh against his bare shoulders.

“Gabriel,” Rich said. “Not right now.”

“This is the only time that you two are in the same room,” Gabriel argued. He turned his head and focused on Rich. “Please.”

“If he doesn’t want to, he doesn’t have to,” Loki said. He raised his head and looked at them. “Don’t push, Angel.”

Gabriel directed his gaze at the ceiling. “Alright,” he said. He pushed his hurt feelings down as deep as he could. He was getting better at that, and he didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.

* * *

The next morning neither Gabriel nor Rich were surprised to see that Loki had gotten up early and started his day without them. Gabriel, Rich, and Kit had breakfast, then Gabriel went to town to get a few things that Kit would need while staying with them. Rich settled Kit on the couch with orders not to move and to “take it easy.”

It was driving Kit crazy. True, she was tired. The medication she was on made her feel loopy. The incident from the night before last had taken more out of her than she was willing to admit as well. She wasn’t used to having others take care of her—it was usually the other way around. Having Rich and Gabriel wait on her hand and foot was just… Well, it just felt wrong!

When she saw Rich leave the utility room with a basketful of laundry, she quickly called out, “Need some help?”

He turned towards her. “I’ve got it, Kitty. You should be resting. Thanks for offering, though.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I don’t think folding a few pairs of socks is going to hurt me, Rich.”

He looked down at the basket in his hands, tapping the sides of it with his fingers. “Alright, if you think you’re up to it.” He then walked over and plopped down on the other end of the couch and upended the clothes between them. “Let’s get to it.”

She reached over and giggled. “Let me guess: Gabriel’s?” She held up boxer briefs covered in roosters.

Rich snatched them out of her hands. “They’re mine, actually,” he said, folding them up and placing them in the bottom of the empty laundry basket. “But they _were_ a gift from Gabriel,” he added, smirking at her.

Kit snickered. “I see.” She continued folding more clothing quietly.

Rich watched her out of the corner of his eye as he did the same, then sighed. “I want to apologize for all this stuff going on between me and Loki.”

She paused with a pair of socks in her hand. “It’s OK,” she said, looking down and shrugging. “I mean, I’ll be better soon anyway, right?”

Rich frowned and dropped the shirt he had just picked up. “Kit,” he said, leaning over and laying a hand on her knee. When she looked up at him, he continued. “I—”

“Who wants lunch! I’m starving!” Gabriel said, walking through the front door with a bag of groceries.

Rich and Kit smiled at each other before she looked at the archangel and said, “Sounds good! What do you have planned?”

Gabriel placed the bag on the kitchen table and started taking out various items. “Well, I was thinking just sandwiches actually. Something easy and fast.”

Rich went back to the laundry. “You’re always thinking with your stomach.”

“Food is serious business, my love,” Gabriel said, sticking his tongue out at him.

Kit giggled. She loved watching their playful bickering. “Can I help?”

Gabriel shook his head. “It’s just sandwiches. I’ll have them done in no time.”

She sighed and looked down at the pile of clothes. “Well, I’ll just sit here and wait while I finish folding your unmentionables.”

Gabriel’s face screwed up in confusion. “My what?” He walked over and looked at what they were doing. “You _do_ know that those touch my junk, right?”

“And?” she said, picking up a pair of yellow briefs with goofy emoji faces—she just _knew_ they were his—and waving them at him. “They’re clean. None of your icky archangel germies on them at the moment.”

“Who says my ‘germies’ are icky?” Gabriel asked, using finger quotes. He raised an eyebrow at her in amusement.

“You’re saying they’re not?” she said, folding the boxers and tossing them into the basket.

He chuckled and reached down to help them finish up their task. “I haven’t had them long, but I guess they could be,” he conceded.

“What’s Loki doing?” Rich asked quietly.

Gabriel stilled with a sock in each hand. “He got into the jeep after I got out. Said something about needing to think.”

Rich looked at him in confusion. “Did he say that he was going anywhere?”

“I’m guessing he’s just driving around.”

“I see,” Rich said, fingering the shirt he was holding.

Kit gazed at him sadly. “I’m—”

“Don’t say ‘sorry’ anymore,” Gabriel said. Kit glanced up at him. “No more sorries period, OK?”

“He’s right, Kitty,” Rich said, drawing her attention to him. “It’s just a rough patch.” He stood and handed the shirt he’d been folding to Gabriel. “I’m gonna be out back. Let me know when you guys get lunch ready.”

Kit watched him go outside, hating this rift that had been caused because of her, wishing that she could do something to help.

Things had to get better before they got worse, right?

* * *

Since it was a nice, mild summer’s day, they decided to have lunch on the back porch. Kit was especially happy about it since she had been cooped up in the house for the past few days. Rich also seemed to be in a better mood, which made her think that this must be one of his favorite spots.

“Rich, this place is so beautiful! I see now why you wanted to leave L.A.,” she said, looking at the trees and the view of the mountains. It was so quiet and peaceful, and the sounds of the birds singing relaxed her so much.

“Yeah, it is. I’ll miss being here when I have to go away, but I’ll mostly miss the other parts of myself,” Rich said. He smiled lovingly at Gabriel, who smiled the same in return. However, their expressions turned sad and their eyes lowered to the wooden deck of the porch.

Kit saw the change in their expressions and she turned her head away. They must be thinking of Loki. She hated this!

“Hey Kit.” She heard Gabriel’s voice and moved to face him. “Would you like to stay back here for a little while? For some fresh air and all that?”

“Are you sure? I might fall asleep…”

“I don’t mind. I’ve taken plenty of naps back here myself to be quite honest.”

Rich gathered their dirty dishes and went inside to get them all some lemonade. Gabriel then pointed out the various wildflowers that grew scattered about the field, and explained to her how thick and dense the trees were in the woods that surrounded their property. Kit asked him if they were easy to get lost in, and Gabriel nodded grimly. However, he pointed out that Loki could walk around them with his eyes closed.

“I wonder why?” Kit asked curiously.

“Because he’s a character from Norse legend,” Rich spoke up from behind them. He had just stepped out of the house with three empty cups and a pitcher of lemonade in his hands. Gabriel quickly stood and went to help him. “He has an innate sense for forests.”

Rich sat between Gabriel and Kit after they’d all been poured a glass of the cold tart drink. A breeze wafted through the yard, and the flowers and grass shifted with movement.

Kit turned her head and saw flashes of color in the trees to her right. “What’s that?” she asked, pointing.

Gabriel and Rich looked in the direction she was indicating. “I think they’re mountain bluebirds, Kit-Kat,” Gabriel said.

“They’re so pretty,” she said. She watched them fly and swirl through the branches, bright azure feathers standing out against the green of the trees. “I love birds. Can we…” she trailed off.

“What is it?” Rich asked.

She turned to look at him. “Well, I don’t want to ask for anything else, since you’ve done so much already,” she said, averting her eyes.

He raised his hand and turned her face towards him. Her eyes widened at the touch of his fingers. “It’s OK. What is it?”

“Well,” she said. “Could we get some birdhouses? I’ve always wanted to, but in L.A., well, it wasn’t really something I could do at my apartment, ya know?”

Gabriel grinned and his eyes crinkled as he laughed silently. “You like birds, Kit?”

She glared at him. “So?”

“Aww, come on! I think it’s cute!” Gabriel said, smiling. “Don’t be mad.”

“Fine, but only if I get some birdhouses.”

* * *

Gabriel and Kit stayed on the back porch when Rich decided to go back inside to wait on Loki. He had been worried when the trickster hadn’t returned after lunch. Loki had been gone for over half the day, and he hadn’t called to let anyone know where he was.

Rich paced up and down the floor between the couch and kitchen island, and was reminded of when he had done almost the exact same thing back in the cabin in Vancouver. It had seemed so long ago…

He stopped and turned sharply when he heard someone come up the steps towards the front door.

When Loki entered the house, Rich was leaning against the kitchen island, waiting for him.

“Hi,” Rich said.

“Hello,” Loki replied. He took his shoes off and placed them by the door. He looked around then back to Rich. “Where is everyone?”

“On the back porch.”

“Ah.”

“Loki.”

Loki turned to him and raised an eyebrow.

“Where were you?”

“Out.”

“Doing what?”

“Getting to the bottom of this.”

Rich ran a hand down his face. “You’re not going to give this up are you?”

Sighing, Loki went and sat down at the kitchen table. “I can’t.” He leaned forward on his elbows and laced his fingers together in front of him. “I just can’t, Rich.”

Rich turned to his side against the island and lowered his eyes. “I don’t like having all these negative feelings between us.” He folded his arms and exhaled slowly as he raised his eyes and met Loki’s gaze. “I want to be able to talk to you again without worrying that it’ll turn into an argument.”

Loki’s lips thinned grimly. “I want that more than anything,” he replied. He held a hand up as Rich opened his mouth. “But, I want to keep you and Gabriel safe too.”

Rich resisted the urge to roll his eyes and stood up straight. “Why does it always come back to that?” He walked forward and braced his hands on the table across from Loki. “Haven’t you been convinced by now that she’s just a normal human being? You held her when she nearly fainted! You would’ve sensed if anything was off. Gabriel would’ve sensed it too.”

“It still doesn’t explain why we’re disconnected from the Summit,” Loki said, unclasping his hands and leaning back in his seat. “It’s too much of a coincidence.”

“Loki,” Rich said, his voice cracking. “Please. I don’t want to lose you.”

Loki pushed his chair back abruptly and swiftly walked around the table. Rich turned towards him and fell into his arms when Loki opened them.

“I’m not going anywhere, Rich,” Loki said, holding him close. “I promise you.”

Rich raised his head. “Kiss me, Loki.”

Loki cupped Rich’s jaw with his hand, tilting his face as he brought their lips together. He kissed him passionately, and Rich gripped his shirt tightly. They pressed their mouths together in longing, in want, in hurt.

A tear fell down Rich’s face, and when it splashed against Loki’s hand, the trickster pulled back. “Shh, Rich,” he said, wiping it away with his thumb. “Shh, Baby…”

“I love you, Loki.”

Loki turned his head as he heard muffled voices from the back door. He kissed Rich softly upon his lips. “You know how I feel. And I promise,” he said once more. “I won’t leave.”

He walked quickly out the front door, his shoes appearing on his feet once he stepped outside.

Gabriel and Kit appeared from the hallway, and the archangel gave Rich a worried look as he took in the forlorn expression on his face.

“Baby?” he said, hurrying over to him. He laid his hands on either side of Rich’s face. “Why are you crying?” He looked about the room, then into Rich’s eyes. “Loki?”

Rich shook his head. “I’m…OK,” he answered. He laid a hand over one of Gabriel’s, moving his head to kiss the archangel’s palm. “I’m OK,” he whispered.

Gabriel gently used his hands to turn Rich’s face back towards him so he could kiss him softly. “I know you’re not, but I’m here, sweetheart.” He pressed their foreheads together. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Come on, Kit-Kat, let’s say you and me make a quick snack for this handsome man of mine, hmm?” Gabriel said quietly to the woman standing awkwardly by the couch.

Kit nodded and walked towards the fridge. “Umm, uh, OK.”

Rich shook his head. “I’m not—”

“Just some coffee and those horrid gluten-free mini blueberry muffins you like, hon,” Gabriel teased.

“OK, but just one.”

A short hour later, the archangel and two humans had enjoyed the small mid-afternoon treat, and Rich appreciated his angel’s cheering him up. It made Kit sleepy though, so Rich offered to clean up the kitchen and Gabriel helped her to her room so she could take a short nap before dinner.

* * *

Gabriel leaned against the wall in the hallway after making sure Kit was comfortable for her nap. He folded his arms, the sight of Rich’s face wet with tears refusing to leave his mind. It tore at his heart to see his human cry; he couldn’t bear it. He wanted to see Rich laugh, wanted to see his eyes light up with joy, not look miserable and dejected.

He pushed himself from the wall and went to look for their mutual lover. He knew that he was most likely in the backyard, avoiding being inside as he had come to do as of late. Making his way to the backdoor, he cocked an ear towards the kitchen. The sounds of Rich moving about let him know that his human was still busy cleaning up.

Good, he wouldn’t know what he was about to do.

He quietly went outside and found Loki staring out across the field, hands in his pockets. The trickster god didn’t move, just gazed at the mountains in the distance. Gabriel came to stand just a yard or so behind him.

Loki turned and faced him. “What?” he half-snapped, seeming to sense Gabriel’s sour mood.

Gabriel shook his head in exasperation. “What do you think?” he said, then walked forward a couple of steps. “How could you do it, Loki?”

Loki looked down at the ground and exhaled long and slow. “Gabriel—”

“NO!” Gabriel shouted. Loki took a step back, eyes widening in surprise. Gabriel was almost surprised as well; he hadn’t raised his voice to Loki in this much anger in centuries. “Is this going to become a normal thing with you?” Gabriel felt himself start to tremble. “You don’t get your way, so you reach deep down and just be your character to get it?”

“I’m not trying to get my way!” Loki retorted. His eyes then flashed. “Like I’ve told Rich, I’m doing this because I’m worried.” A sharp gust of wind blew by them, whether from Loki’s ire or Gabriel’s own agitation, the archangel wasn’t sure, nor did he care. “I’ve explained so many times now that I sound like a fucking broken record!”

“And you think that gives you the right to make Rich, _our Rich_ , cry?!” Gabriel demanded. His own eyes lit with his grace. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so upset. “I saw him, Loki! You hurt him!”

The wind started to whip up around them, the furniture on the back porch sliding and rocking about, the branches of the trees lashing to and fro. Their anger was rebounding off each other and intensifying.

“I don’t think I have the right to anything,” Loki grit out.

“Then why?” Gabriel said softly. The glow in his eyes faded as his shoulders slumped. He looked into the face of one of the two people he loved above all others, desperate to understand. “ _Why_ , Sugar?”

The air around them stilled all at once, the two beings’ aggravation and frustration with each other all but gone and replaced with hurt and confusion. Loki sighed and walked forward so he could embrace the archangel, who gripped the back of his shirt tightly.

“Because I care,” Loki murmured into Gabriel’s hair.

“Don’t make him cry anymore,” Gabriel whimpered. “It hurts me, Loki.”

Loki closed his eyes and started to rock him. “I don’t mean to hurt any of you.”

Gabriel pulled back, fighting back tears. “Then just stop—”

“I don’t have any answers yet, Angel,” Loki said, shaking his head. He leaned forward and kissed him tenderly on the lips. “It hurts _me_ to just ignore the idea that something might happen to both of you.”

“What’s going on?”

They both turned to see Rich striding towards them, his face clouded in worry and concern. He glanced behind him at the furniture on the porch, some of which had toppled over, then back to Loki and Gabriel. “What happened? Were you fighting?”

“Just having a talk,” Gabriel said. He stepped away from Loki, who looked at him with sad eyes.

“I see,” Rich said, clearly not believing him but deciding not to comment on it. He and Loki caught each other’s eyes for a long moment, but the trickster broke it all too soon and went back to gazing at the mountains.

Gabriel, seeing what had happened, went to Rich and took his arm. “Hey, I know it’s a little earlier than we had planned, but let’s go see what we can make for dinner, huh Baby?”

Rich watched Loki for a moment, then nodded. “OK, Gabriel.” He turned, and Gabriel gave him a reassuring smile. “OK,” he repeated.

Loki didn’t move.

* * *

_**The Summit** _

“It’s not funny, Boss!” Gabe exclaimed, shaking sand out of his hair with both his hands. Richard stood to his left just behind him, using a wet cloth to wipe red grit from his face. They had been teleported to their present location by the Guardian of the world they had arrived in half a day previously after being chased by a huge worm in a desert.

The Guardian had gotten them out just after they had fallen in a sand dune. Richard had been screaming in terror, and no matter how much Gabe had tried, his grace could do nothing to stop the giant invertebrate from bearing down on them. When they had appeared at this Guardian’s residence, they had both been beyond relieved.

“I’m sorry, Gabe,” the Boss said, stifling her laughter. They were both covered in red silt, and their clothes were also embedded with and stained from it. “I’m glad that you’re both OK.”

“So Odium is traversing the Fourth Walls and travel portals?” her sibling asked, stepping into view. She had dark blue eyes and her dark hair was pulled into a tight bun. “I had wondered why I was having trouble contacting our other brothers and sisters. I’m assuming that they are all on lockdown?”

B spoke up from his small portal at the Boss’ side. “That’s right. We’re trying to keep it from spreading.” He looked worse and worse each time Gabe and Richard saw him. The temple he resided at was now the only place free from the Odium in Richard’s world, and B’s powers were strained to the limit to keep it that way.

“Are you guys any closer to figuring out what the hell is going on?” Richard asked. He stepped forward to stand between Gabe and the other Guardian. “I’ve lost count of how many places we’ve gone to, and we can’t keep doing this forever.” He looked over at Gabe. “And then there’s the others…”

B frowned. “I made a suggestion to my sister, but she didn’t like it.”

“What?”

The Boss shot him a look. “It’s foolish and risky, and if it were to fail—”

“It’s not as if it could get any worse! And there’s a failsafe!” B snapped. His eyes were wide in anger as he continued. “I’m the only one who can do it at this point and you know it!”

“What’s he talking about?” their sister demanded.

The Boss turned to her. “He wants to go to the Edge himself and see if he can find out exactly where it’s leaking out into the Wall.”

Gabe, Richard, and the other Guardian gasped in shock. “Are you fucking insane?!” Richard shouted. “That place is… It’s…” His breathing increased. “It’s a nightmare!”

Gabe was at a loss for words and just stared numbly at his Guardian. He knew that even with their own superior powers that they were vulnerable there. “Boss…?”

“Still so young and foolhardy,” the other Guardian said, shaking her head. “I’m guessing that you have your charges in your Ether, and plan to siphon them to our sister’s?”

B nodded. “It’s the only way to make sure they survive if I don’t.”

Richard fumed. “You’d risk our world being Purged?! MY HOME?!” His face was red with rage. “All you ever do is make mistake after mistake! I knew I was right to never trust you! I can’t believe I ever apologized to you!”

“Richard!” Gabe said, grabbing his arms. He cried out when his boyfriend roughly shoved him back, causing him to crash to the floor. He looked up at him in alarm. “Richard…”

“Character!” the Guardian said. Richard turned to her, curling his hands into fists. “Stop!”

“NO! I won’t!” Richard started to advance on her, but the Guardian extended an arm in his direction, her palm facing outwards.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

Richard gasped and fell to his knees, his arms hanging limply at his sides. Gabe scrambled on his hands and knees to him, checking him over. “What did you do?” he asked, looking his lover in the eyes.

“I simply made him too weak to move,” she said. She calmly walked over and kneeled next to them. “Something isn’t right.” She gently placed her hand on the side of Richard’s face and closed her eyes.

Richard stared helplessly at Gabe as the Guardian’s power searched within him. Gabe’s worried eyes never left his face the entire time.

The Guardian’s brows furrowed as she took her hand away. “Does that hurt?” she asked, nodding her head towards the location of Richard’s mark.

The human shakily nodded. “It only hurt in my dreams before now.”

Gabe’s eyes darted to Richard’s shoulder and back to his face. “It just started now?”

Richard nodded. “I got so angry.” He looked down. “I-I couldn’t control it.” He frowned then looked up. “I couldn’t control it!” He started to panic. “Gabe!”

“I got you, come here,” the angel said, pulling him close. He addressed the Guardian. “What’s going on?”

The Guardian stood and spoke to her brother and sister. “I think we need to talk to _all_ our siblings.” She gave the Boss a pointed look. “About every and all options.”

The Boss didn’t seem too happy. “Noted,” she said in a flat voice.

“Richard!” Gabe cried out when the human passed out in his arms. “Wake up!” He turned panicked eyes to the now silent Guardians. “What’s wrong with him?!”

The Guardian beside them placed a reassuring hand on Gabe’s shoulder. “He’s fine. He just needs to sleep. Go out that way,” she indicated a doorway to the right of the room. “Follow the corridor all the way to the end. You can both rest in the compartment there.”

Gabe nodded, then gently gathered Richard into his arms. “Thank you,” he said, standing carefully.

“We’ll be in touch,” the Boss said from the portal.

“Tell him…” B began, then sighed. “Tell him I’m going to do my best.”

Gabe nodded. “Of course.”

* * *

_**Montana** _

Rich knocked softly on Kit’s door to wake her for dinner. Gabriel had done his best to reassure him that he and Loki had only been setting a few things straight between them, but Rich knew better. The archangel’s smile had looked forced the entire time he talked to him.

“Kit?” he called. “Kit? Time to eat, Darlin’.” He frowned when he heard no movement or reply from within. “Kit?” He knocked again, but a little louder.

This time he heard a shuffling noise, followed by a cough. “Are you awake?” he asked.

“Y-Yeah…” he heard her say. There was the sound of more shuffling before he heard “You can come in now.”

He turned the knob and entered, then paused. “Kit? What’s wrong?”

Her face was red and blotchy from crying, and tears still fell from her eyes as she said, “I’m never going to get better, Rich. It’s going to ruin all that you’ve worked so hard for, and I’m going to end up as nothing but a burden once again.”

“What?” Rich hurried to her bed and sat next to her. “A burden? Kitty, what are you talking about? Where’s this all coming from all of a sudden?” He rubbed her arm with his hand to help calm her tears. “How could you think that?”

She wiped at her face with the back of her hand. “No matter how much I try, no matter how hard I work, it always ends up the same: me crying and being a useless, hopeless mess.”

Rich continued to rub her arm as he remembered the words from her doctor. He had been made aware of the possibility of Kit falling into a depression. It seemed that everything that she had gone through since awakening from surgery was hitting her all at once.

“Listen, Darlin’,” Rich said, turning her gently to her back so he could look into her face. “You’re not useless. You need help, and it’s OK to let others take care of you when you need it.”

She looked away from him, struggling to believe him. “But it keeps happening over and over again, and I’m so tired all the time.” She turned back to him. “And it’s hurting you!”

He closed his eyes, trying to find the right words to say. “It takes time,” he said, opening his eyes. “You’ll get better with time, and things will get better with me and Loki in time too.”

“But—”

“Shh,” he said, placing a finger on her lips. “Just trust me, OK?”

Kit’s eyes softened as she nodded. “OK,” she said.

“That’s my pretty girl,” Rich said. He then helped her sit up. “Gabriel is waiting on us in the kitchen. Are you hungry?”

“I could do with a few bites of something.”

“Let me get something so you can wash your face, then I’ll help walk you.” Rich stood and headed for the door.

“Rich?”

He turned. “Yeah?”

“Pretty girl?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

He smiled. “It’s the truth.”

“You and Gabriel are definitely cut from the same cloth.”

* * *

They had just finished dinner when they all heard a loud scream of pain.

“What was that?!” Kit cried in alarm as Rich and Gabriel ran to the kitchen window. “It sounded like—”

“That stupid idiot!” Gabriel shouted. He turned and raced outside, Rich on his heels. Kit sat where she was for a moment, trying to process what was happening.

“Loki…” she breathed.

* * *

Gabriel and Rich sprinted down the middle of the field, their hearts hammering in fear against their ribcages. What had Loki done? Was he hurt? Was he—

“Loki!” Gabriel cried as he slowed his pace at the sight of their trickster. He went to kneel beside him and checked him over worriedly. Loki was on his knees, panting and holding onto his side in pain next to a large swath of blackened, smoking earth.

Rich crouched in front of him and looked into his face. “Loki? Loki!” he said, trying to get him to acknowledge them. “What happened?”

Wheezing, Loki coughed and Rich’s and Gabriel’s eyes widened when specks of blood fell upon the grass. “Tr-Tried—” He cried out and nearly doubled over.

Gabriel and Rich placed gentle hands on him. “We’re here, Loki. It’s OK,” Rich said. He looked at Gabriel helplessly.

Gabriel’s palm lit up with grace, offering what he could spare to help Loki breathe without pain. He then sighed and leaned his head against the trickster’s shoulder, feeling slightly lightheaded.

“That was stupid,” Loki said after a short moment, though he did say it painlessly.

“I knew I’d pay for it in more ways than one, smartass.”

“Guys,” Rich said worriedly, still on the verge of panic.

Loki caught his gaze. “I tried to summon the portal again.”

Gabriel slowly lifted his head. “Why? You know it doesn’t work.”

“I wanted to see if I could force it open.”

They just stared at him before doing the same at the scorched ground beside them.

Rich shared a look with Gabriel, and when absolute fury filled the human’s eyes, Gabriel paled.

“Rich?” he said worriedly, then jumped back quickly when Rich’s fist connected with Loki’s face.

_Hard_.

Loki toppled backwards onto the ground, clenching his teeth as the impact jarred his injured ribs. He groaned, managing to open his eyes when Rich went to stand over him.

“You fucking moron! How could you even _think_ of doing something so incredibly stupid!” He started to shake and breathe harshly. “What if you had died?! Do you know what that would’ve done to us?!”

Loki just stared at him.

“ANSWER ME LOKI!”

Gabriel struggled to his feet. “Rich, calm down. You need to calm down…”

“NO!” Rich shouted, keeping his eyes on Loki.

Gabriel flinched and he nearly lost his balance. Damn, he was gonna need to rest soon...

Loki turned a worried eye to Gabriel then looked at Rich, who was still shaking with rage.

“We have to get Gabriel inside, Rich,” he said.

Rich cut his eyes over to Gabriel and furrowed his brow in concern. “Gabriel?”

The archangel shook his head. “I’ll be fine,” he protested.

“You won’t,” Loki said. He rolled over and pushed himself to his hands and knees so he could stand. He hissed at the pain but worked through it. “Come on. Bed.”

He went and took one of Gabriel’s arms and slung it over his shoulders. Rich did the same on Gabriel’s other side. The human and trickster looked at each other but said nothing as they helped Gabriel back to the house.

* * *

“Do you need help too?”

Loki turned his head. He was soaking in the master bathroom’s tub. Gabriel’s grace had taken away the surface bruising, but the internal remained.

“Only if you want to,” he replied to Rich.

Rich sat on the edge of the tub and took a washcloth and lathered it up with soap. “You really scared me,” he said as he started to clean the dirt off of Loki’s skin.

“I had to try,” Loki said. He sucked in air between his teeth when Rich ran the washcloth along his side.

“Sorry, thought I was barely touching you,” Rich apologized. He continued his washing. “I know that you’re bound and determined to find a way, Loki, but,” he dipped the piece of cloth into the water. “Not this way. Not at the risk of your life.” He closed his eyes and gripped the washcloth in his hands.

“Baby,” Loki said. He reached out and covered Rich’s hands with his own. “You know that I’ll heal fast. We can’t really d—”

“You don’t know that. What if you had gotten blown up into a million pieces all over the lawn? Incinerated?”

Loki gripped Rich’s hands tightly. “I promise you, I’ll never do anything like that again.”

“You better not,” Rich said, opening his eyes. “Your jaw is hard,” he said, trying to focus on something else. He raised his hand and showed Loki his slightly purple and swollen knuckles. “I’m lucky you’re not as hard-headed outside as you are inside. I’d have a broken hand right now,” he said, a small smile appearing on his face. “It’s starting to heal, though.”

“I’ll get you some ice for it once I’m out of here to help further it along,” Loki said, taking Rich’s hand and kissing it softly. “Gabriel doing OK?”

“He should be back to causing chaos like normal in the morning.”

“Foolish angel.”

“Foolish trickster.”

Loki kissed Rich’s knuckles again.

“I would say foolish human, but I deserved that.”

* * *

Kit walked slowly along the edge of the road. She had been at the back door when Rich screamed at Loki, and had left immediately after. It was too much, knowing that the trickster had risked his life to try to prove that she wasn’t who she said she was.

It had to end now, before someone _did_ die.

The guilt that tore through her as she had closed the front door behind her had nearly made her fall to her knees. This wasn’t the way to repay her friend for coming to the hospital for her! For inviting her into his home and taking care of her!

But what choice did she have?

Night had fallen, and the stars seemed to be glaring down at her in disapproval as she took one weary step after the other. Her progress was something to be desired.

She knew that her presence would be missed eventually, and her eyes kept darting to the trees to her left. She remembered Gabriel’s words of caution, but each time she looked, the more the shadows of the trees seemed to be the perfect hiding place.

She heard the sounds of a car coming from just beyond a curve up ahead. Making a quick decision, she walked as fast as she could into the treeline, disappearing amongst the branches just as the headlights flooded the road.

* * *

“I can’t find her anywhere!”

“Calm down, she has to be here somewhere!”

Rich and Loki had gone into the kitchen to get an icepack for the human’s hand. They had expected to see Kit up and about, but when she wasn’t there, Rich had gone to her room while Loki set about gathering what Rich needed.

He had been surprised when Rich had raced back into the kitchen nearly beside himself, informing him of Kit’s absence. They had searched the other rooms in the house, then around outside and in the toolshed. They had next both looked about the rest of their property with a flashlight, calling her name.

“Shit, Loki! Where is she? You don’t think she fell and hit her head and—” Rich looked towards the trees. “Oh, God!”

Loki gripped the flashlight in his hands. “Stay here with Gabriel. I’ll go look.”

Rich turned to him. “ _Please_ Loki, let me go with you. Don’t go alone.”

“Someone needs to stay with Gabriel. I’ll be fine,” Loki said. He faced Rich. “I have my phone. I’ll call you if something happens.”

“Be careful.” Rich carefully hugged him. “Please find her,” he whispered.

“Don’t be angry,” Loki said.

Rich blinked in confusion as he looked at him. “Wha—”

Loki snapped his fingers, leaving Rich clutching at nothing but thin air when the trickster disappeared.

“You son of a bitch,” Rich murmured, then sighed and went back inside.

* * *

Kit leaned heavily against the side of a tree, wanting to just slide down against it and go to sleep. She had left the house in just a pair of pajama bottoms and a thin t-shirt, and despite the warm night, she was also cold.

She whimpered when she heard thunder overhead. Clouds had started to form over the dense treetops without her noticing. She felt tears well in her eyes; she deserved this, being caught out in the rain, in the middle of the woods.

“There you are,” a familiar voice said from the other side of the tree.

She continued crying.

“We need to leave before it starts raining.”

“I’m not going back.”

Kit heard him walk around the tree to stand in front of her. “Why?"

She refused to look at him. “Because you hate me, and the longer I stay, the more you’ll hate me.”

“I don’t hate you,” Loki sighed. He sounded just as tired as she was.

Kit raised her eyes, barely making out the outline of his body in the dark. “Then why do you treat me the way you do?”

“Because I have to protect them.”

“I don’t understand why you would think that I’m some sort of threat. I’m just what you see before you: a weak, messed-up woman.” Kit’s voice cracked and she looked away as she wiped her eyes. “I’m not even strong enough to say goodbye…”

Looking back at him, she laughed hollowly before continuing. “There ya go—I guess my doing that hurts them, doesn’t it? Well, go ahead; you have your reason to do whatever it is you were planning to do.”

Loki shook his head. “Stop talking nonsense. I told Rich that I would bring you back, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

She glared and threw her arms out wildly in his direction, hitting him on his chest and shoulders. “Do it! Punish me! I know you hate me! Get it over with!” she shouted.

“Will you get a hold of yourself woman?!” he snapped. He reached up and grabbed her wrists with his hands.

However, the moment that she felt his hands touch her, she froze as memories assaulted her: Flashes of someone with cold, merciless eyes; a malicious smile and laughter; her screaming and crying out as she begged him to stop hurting her; falling to her side, curling up in a ball, telling him that she’ll be good, that she belongs to him, not to Rich, begging and making promises…

She began to repeat the phrase “I promise” out loud, along with Rich’s name, staring unblinkingly into Loki’s face.

* * *

Loki had jerked his hand away when she stiffened in fear. He had called her name, then stopped when she had said Rich’s name. He furrowed his brow in confusion when she began repeating his lover’s name along with the phrase. What about Rich? What promise?

“Kit!” he said loudly, trying to get her to snap out of it.

She gasped and jerked her head up in shock when lightning flashed in the sky. She looked back at him and cowered when it flashed again.

“NO!” she shouted, covering her head with her arms. “PLEASE NO!”

He was at a loss. Why was she suddenly afraid of him?

“It’s alright, I won’t hurt you,” he said softly. He took a step forward, but she fell to her knees.

“I belong to you,” she whimpered, falling on her side to the ground. “I won’t mess up again.”

“Belong to who?” he said, kneeling in front of her. “Kit, who was hurting you?”

But she started to shake with fear. “No no no…” she said over and over.

Loki passed his hand over her eyes, putting her into a deep sleep. He fell to his hands and knees, groaning. He was nearly at his limit from locating her with his magic. He pulled out his phone and called home, told Rich where to meet him outside the woods, then slowly lifted Kit into his arms.

“At least you didn’t walk too far in,” he told her as he turned towards the road. “You and I would be in big trouble.”

What he had just witnessed bothered him. Were these some of the long-term memories that she had lost because of the accident? They seemed genuine: she was terrified of whoever had been hurting her.

He remembered the doctor mentioning her previously healed injuries and the fact that she was literally starving. They had to be connected. It made too much sense.

It was also obvious that the person causing all this knew who Rich was. That definitely didn’t sit well with him.

He needed to find them. Maybe _they_ were the reason behind what was going on.

* * *

“First Gabriel, now you,” Rich fussed as soon as Loki got into the jeep. They had laid Kit in the backseat. “I swear you two are going to make me go gray!”

“It’s a good thing I did because I’d still be looking for her otherwise,” Loki said, leaning his head back against the headrest. He was exhausted. He hadn’t used this much power in months.

“You’re right, you’re right,” Rich said. He reached across with his arm to hold Loki’s hand. “I’m sorry.”

Loki squeezed it. “It’s OK, Baby,” he said. He rubbed his thumb against the inside of Rich’s wrist. “Something happened when I found her,” he began.

Rich pulled out onto the road. “Does it have to do with her being conked out?” he asked, looking in the rearview mirror at her sleeping form.

“You can say that,” Loki said. He explained in as much detail as he could about his and Kit’s argument and how it had led to what appeared to be a flashback of memories. Rich’s jaw clenched and his hand tightened his grip in Loki’s during parts of the trickster’s narrative.

When Loki finished, Rich sighed and said in a tense voice, “You think whoever did this is responsible for those unexplained injuries she had?”

Loki ran his other hand down his face. “It’s the only plausible explanation.”

Rich let go of his hand and resisted the urge to slam it against the steering wheel. Instead, he curled it into a fist and pounded his thigh. “Dammit!” he cursed under his breath. “I _knew_ that there was something else going on, but I didn’t want to push her! She must’ve been seeing someone, and they were…” He breathed out harshly through his nose. “I’m going to kill them.”

“Did she ever tell you she was seeing someone?”

Rich shook his head. “We never talked about those sorts of things. Our private lives were kept…well…private. Employer/Employee thing,” he said, shrugging.

“And she has no memory of it,” Loki said, turning his head to look back at her.

“Loki…”

Loki looked at his human. “Hmm?”

“The way you’re talking…” Rich looked at him from the corner of his eye. “Are you rethinking your opinion of her?”

The trickster shifted in his seat and looked out the window. He thought carefully over his answer, and Rich waited patiently.

“I think she may be connected, but not in the way I had thought previously,” Loki said.

Rich took a deep breath. “I know that I should be relieved to hear that, but considering what we just found out…” He looked at Kit in the rearview mirror again in worry.

Loki lay a hand on Rich’s thigh. “We’ll keep her safe, Rich.”

Rich covered his hand with his.

“Thank you.”


	5. Walls Can Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since my a/b/o fic "Best Laid Plans" is running a bit behind, here is another chapter for y'all! 
> 
> A little trigger warning: seizures and medical jargon related to them.

_**The Summit** _

The Boss was _not_ happy. She had gathered her siblings who were aware of the Odium's spreading destruction upon the worlds for a discussion of the crisis, but they had been arguing for weeks now. No one could take charge; no one had the right to. There had never been a situation that had called for a forum such as this.

It made her very aware that the Guardian’s system had a major flaw, and that if they all made it through this ordeal, they needed to fix it and any others that might exist.

“No, we can’t endanger any of our characters by having them travel! Look what happened to his!” the Guardian from one world stated, pointing at B. He glared from one of the many apertures that ringed the room. “There are rogue characters causing problems as well! It’s too dangerous!”

B stared down at his desk. “I don’t know how many times I have to defend my actions, and I’m tired of doing so,” was all he said. The young Guardian was beaten down, holding it together by a thread.

“Lay off, Brother,” another Guardian said. “We agreed to talk about the characters at the moment.”

“So we did,” the Boss spoke up. “He’s awake?” She directed her question to the Guardian whose world Richard and Gabe were currently residing.

The Guardian’s blue eyes turned to her. “He’s been going in and out of consciousness. I wasn’t expecting him to do so, as I’ve told you.” She looked over at B. “It’s building up in him, I’m afraid,” she said, referring to Richard’s Hate mark.

B’s head snapped up. “I need to go! I need to find out what's going on!”

The Guardian from earlier objected. “You’re in no shape to go through with that plan!”

“I’m the only one who can!”

“B, don’t think that you’re easily replaceable. We would feel your loss if you were to fail,” Chief’s kind voice called from across the room.

“I failed him once. I’ve failed so many of my charges. I need to save my world,” B said. He looked at his brothers and sisters. “Please let me do this.”

The other Guardians all shared looks. Some looked sympathetic, others worried and torn.

“Gabe won’t go anywhere without Richard,” B said softly. “We’ll be stuck here debating, and the Odium will continue its assault.” He shook his head. “You all don’t want to risk your charges, and I understand that more than you know. So let me transfer my Ether to our sister’s, and try.”

“We’ll need to put Richard inside too,” Chief said. B looked at her and widened his eyes. “I know that he doesn’t want to, but…if you were to…” Her voice trailed off, not wanting to complete the sentence.

“It might help him at the same time too, B” the Boss said, finally deciding not to stand in her brother’s way. “We’ve used it before to combat the effects of Hate.”

“I don’t look forward to this conversation,” her brother said, slumping down in his chair.

“I’m sure once we fully explain, we might have a certain angel who will help him understand.”

* * *

“I’m going with him,” Gabe said before his Guardian even finished speaking. He had promised his lover that he would go with him if he had to go into the Ether, and he would keep it.

“Gabe, if you go, you wouldn’t be able to leave unless I were to retrieve you,” the Boss said.

“I don't care. I won’t let him go alone.”

“How sure are you that he would go willingly?” B asked from the portal next to the Boss’.

“Because he knows me better than I know myself,” Richard said from the doorway to the room.

“Babe, what are you doing up?” Gabe said, walking quickly over to him. He wrapped an arm around the human’s waist and put one of Richard’s arms over his shoulder. “You’re supposed to be resting.”

“I woke up and you weren’t there,” Richard said, then with the angel’s help made his way over to speak to the Guardians. “So, how does this work?”

“You heard all that was said?” B asked, looking directly at Richard.

“I heard enough.”

“You’ll need to come back here first,” the Boss said. She gave Gabe a hard look. “Do _not_ let go of him as you travel here. We need to take all the precautions we can from now on.”

“I’ll never let him go,” Gabe said, pulling him close.

* * *

_**Montana** _

Gabriel groaned as he rolled over on his pillow. His head was hurting, which he hated. He opened his eyes and saw the back of someone’s head lying next to him. He wasn’t sure whose it was; his, Rich’s, and Loki’s hair were all around the same length at the moment, so he slowly leaned up on his elbow and looked over.

He smiled at the sleeping face of his human. Rich had both his hands curled up near his head and resting on his pillow, his mouth slightly open as he breathed deeply in and out. He then noticed that Loki was gone, but guessed that he had started his day early as usual. He slid out from under the light blanket they had both been sleeping under and pulled it up over Rich’s shoulders before he went to make a visit to their bathroom.

When Gabriel exited after drying his hair from a quick shower, he saw that Rich was still asleep. He wondered what had happened after he had been carried inside the night before. He only vaguely remembered being set on the bed and having his clothes changed. After that there was nothing.

He dressed for the day and left the room, intending to check on Kit. He crossed the hallway and halted when he saw that her door was cracked open.

“Kit?” he asked, placing his hand on the doorknob.

“Shh,” he heard Loki whisper from the left of the door.

Gabriel’s eyes widened as he pushed the door open a bit so he could look inside. “Loki?” He saw the trickster leaning against the wall with his arms lying at his waist, his left hand gripping his right wrist.

“Shh, Gabriel!” Loki whispered a little more loudly. Gabriel turned his head to look at him. “She’s still asleep,” he added, gesturing to Kit’s form on the bed.

“What are you doing in here?” Gabriel asked, keeping his voice low and quiet. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him softly.

“It’s a long story,” Loki replied in the same tone of voice. He then gave the archangel an abridged version of the previous night’s events, and Gabriel’s expression remained grim throughout all of it.

“So when do we go hunt down whoever hurt her?” Gabriel said angrily after Loki finished speaking. No one got away with causing harm to his friends!

“We have no way of knowing _who_ hurt her,” Loki said, folding his arms in front of him. “She didn’t say a name when she was scared out of her mind last night.”

Gabriel eyed his trickster. “You’ve changed your opinion of her, haven’t you?”

Loki looked at Gabriel with tired eyes. “You would too if you had seen how terrified she was, Angel.”

Gabriel gazed at Kit sadly, then turned back to him. “Have you been watching her all this time, Loki? I don’t see how you’re still on your feet after everything you did last night.”

“I told Rich I would keep her safe,” Loki said. He ran a hand down his stubble-covered face. “I’ll be fine.”

“You need to rest, Sugar,” Gabriel insisted, placing a hand on his arm. “Please get some sleep, at least for a couple hours.”

Loki closed his eyes as he sighed and rested his head against the wall.

“For me,” Gabriel said, refusing to give in to the trickster’s stubbornness.

“Fine,” he said, giving Gabriel a stern look. “But you come get me the moment she awakens. I mean it, Gabriel.”

Gabriel smiled and nodded. “Of course I will. Now,” he took Loki gently by the arm. “Off to bed with you Mr. Sleepyhead.”

Loki rolled his eyes and opened the door. “The moment she wakes, Angel!” he said once again.

“You’ll be the first to know. Now get!”

* * *

Loki jerked awake two hours later. The alarm on his phone was blaring loudly on the bedside table, and he nearly fried it with his powers. Who the hell had turned on his alarm?

He slammed his hand on the phone, silencing the noise. He had been lying on his stomach and pushed himself to his knees. His mouth tasted disgusting, and his hair was matted to his forehead. He wiped his hands over his face, trying to wake himself up completely.

He then picked his phone up, and when he saw the time he suddenly remembered that _he_ was the one who set the alarm. He jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He would never forgive nature for allowing the creation of morning breath. He _hated_ it!

After hastily getting dressed and running his fingers through his hair, he made his way across the hall, yawning still from his hard nap. He heard the sound of someone in the kitchen—Rich he assumed—then slowly and quietly opened the door to Kit’s room.

Gabriel was sitting in the plush chair by the window, reading a book that was laid across his lap. The archangel lifted his head, sensing him, and raised an eyebrow at his appearance.

“You sure that you got enough sleep?” he asked.

“I’m better,” Loki said. He walked forward and stopped a few feet from the bed. “She looks like she hasn’t moved.”

“Not a muscle,” Gabriel said. He closed his book and stood. “It must’ve shocked her system, what she remembered.”

“Did Rich come by?”

“For a short while.” He then frowned at Loki. “You neglected to tell me that little bit about you taking off on Rich without giving him a heads-up, by the way.”

Loki didn’t look at him. “Must’ve slipped my mind. I _had_ been awake for over twenty-four hours.”

Gabriel snorted. “Do it again and I’ll spank you.”

“You sure about that?” Loki said, turning his head and cocking an eyebrow at the archangel.

“Let something ‘slip your mind’ again and find out,” Gabriel said. He kissed Loki’s cheek and turned to leave the room. “I’m gonna go see what our human is up to. Let us know if you need anything.”

“I will. Thank you, Angel.”

“You’re welcome, Sugar.”

After Gabriel closed the door, Loki went to sit in the chair. His body still ached from his actions in the field, and he had only added to it by standing by the door to keep himself awake through the night. He flicked his wrist and a cup of coffee appeared in his other hand, and he sighed at the aroma that wafted from the steaming liquid within it.

Yes, even with his depleted powers he could still make a kick-ass cup of joe.

* * *

Gabriel found Rich putting the dishes from the night before into the dishwasher as he entered the kitchen. Judging by how spotless and shiny everything looked, the human had been stress cleaning.

“Everything OK, Baby?” he asked. He slowly made his way over and started helping him. “She’s still asleep,” he added, trying to fill in the silence. “Loki is with her.”

Rich nodded, still placing dishes into the appliance. “That’s good.”

Gabriel glanced at him. Rich’s face was blank as he focused on his task. “Rich…”

“I’m fine, Gabriel. Just thinking.”

“You can think out loud to me if you need to.”

Rich smiled softly. “I know.” He held out his hand and Gabriel reached out with his to hold it. “Thank you.”

“Have you had breakfast?” Gabriel asked, closing the dishwasher’s door and turning it on.

“I had a cup of coffee,” Rich replied. He winced when Gabriel scowled at him.

“How many times do I have to tell you that coffee isn’t food,” the archangel admonished. He pointed to the table. “Sit.”

Rich sighed and did as he was bid. Gabriel scurried about, throwing a quick meal together. He had become quite fond of cooking ever since he had become essentially half-human. Loki and Rich had grown tired of the numerous cooking shows he had watched, not to mention the mountain of cookbooks that Rich had had to buy him.

Gabriel quickly whipped up a breakfast scramble, then sat next to Rich while the human ate. “How did I ever live without you as my personal chef, Gabriel?” Rich asked as he worked on his plate of food.

Gabriel beamed at the compliment. “I’m happy that you like it, sweetheart.” He was happy that Rich’s mood seemed to have lightened a good bit, though he wished that he would talk to him. “I made extra for Loki and Kit.”

“Kit should like this a lot too,” Rich said. “I wonder when she’ll wake up, though. She’s been asleep a long time.” He tapped his fork against his plate.

“What else are you worried about, Rich?” Gabriel finally asked. “And don’t tell me any different, because I can tell.”

Rich sighed and moved the last few bites of his food around the plate with his fork. “I’m thinking about whether or not I could’ve stopped everything that happened to her. If I had just tried harder to get her to talk to me when Rob called me the first time...”

Gabriel stayed his hand and used his other to turn his human’s face towards him. “Rich, you had no way of knowing anything. Blaming yourself isn’t the answer, and we both know that Kit wouldn’t want you doing this to yourself either.”

“I hate this,” Rich said. He dropped his fork and leaned his head on Gabriel’s shoulder. “All that time, she was being hit and God knows what else.”

“She’s here now, and she’s got us,” Gabriel soothed him, rubbing his back and kissing his hair. “We’ll figure this all out together, for her.”

* * *

_**nameless dimension** _

_...it was getting stronger._

_… **he** was getting stronger._

_...stupid bitch._

_...he would find her._

_...find a weakness._

_...destroy her resistance once and for all._

_...and make her submit to him completely._

* * *

_**Montana** _

Kit sent the entire house into a panic when she finally awoke.

Loki had been nodding off, the scant two hours of sleep not enough to keep him awake. He had nearly fallen out of his chair when Kit opened her eyes and started to shout and cry out for help. He had nearly jumped over to the bed, crawling onto it and leaning over her.

“Kit!” he said, looking down into her face. She was staring straight at him, seeing something that wasn’t there. “Kit!”

The door barged open as Gabriel and Rich rushed inside. “What’s going on?!” Rich said worriedly as he and the archangel hurriedly made their way to the side of the bed. “Is she hurt?!”

“I don't know,” Loki said, not turning his head. Kit continued her cries, then stopped as her body suddenly went rigid.

Gabriel’s eyes widened. “Loki, you better—”

Loki backed away from her as she started to convulse, her body racked with a violent seizure. All three looked on helplessly as her teeth clenched and her breaths wheezed harshly in and out from her lungs.

It seemed to go on forever, but only lasted for less than thirty seconds. The tension in her muscles eased slowly, and she went limp against the bed. She didn’t breathe for a moment, and just when Rich was about to turn to Gabriel to beg him to help, she took in a shallow breath of air.

“I’m going to call her doctor,” Rich said, turning and leaving the room.

Loki watched him leave, then looked at Gabriel. “Angel…”

Gabriel’s eyes went back and forth between him and Kit. “I…” He obviously was at a loss as to what to do.

“I’ll stay here. You go be with him,” Loki said, nodding his head towards the door. He knew that none of them needed to be alone at the moment.

Gabriel seemed slightly relieved to have something to focus on. “I’ll be checking on you both.” He gave one last look at Kit, then exited the room.

Loki then tucked the blankets up around the woman, sighing in exhaustion.

“Just what the hell is going on in your head?” he wondered aloud.

* * *

_**The Summit** _

Gabe wrapped his arms and legs tightly around Richard before they entered the portal, planning on using the position to roll them both into the Summit safely. He focused on the interior of the Boss’ chambers the entire time, and once they arrived he laid on the floor, refusing to let Richard out of his arms.

Once they were both aware of where they were, Richard gently convinced Gabe to let him go. As soon as they sat up, the human asked, “Can it heal Gabe’s wing?”

“I’m sorry, Richard, but it doesn’t work that way,” the Boss said regretfully as she kneeled beside the exhausted human.

Gabe and the Boss knew exactly what he had meant by the question, and it had broken Gabe’s heart for him because he had also asked the same question years before.

“What do you mean it doesn’t work that way?” Richard’s voice was filled with disbelief. “I thought it _created_ things! It’s helped us in other ways too!”

Gabe laid a hand on Richard’s back. “No one can create except humans, baby,” he said. Richard turned to him. “And the only human who can help me is the one who created me.”

Richard shook his head. “But…”

“It’s OK, Richard. I’ve accepted it. You helped me do that.” Gabe turned to look at the Guardian. “I’ve learned to accept a lot of things.”

The Boss smiled. “Let’s get you two ready to go inside. B has already transferred over his Ether and his world’s remaining personas.”

Richard stiffened. “Has he already…?”

She shook her head. “He won’t go until he knows that you’re safe.”

“What will happen to him?”

“He’ll go to the Edge, search for where it’s leaking, and get back so we can plan a course of action.”

Richard glowered. “I know what he has to do; I meant what will happen to him if he can’t get back.” He curled his hands into fists.

The Guardian shot her eyes over to Gabe, who nodded quickly. “Come on, Babe. We need to get going.”

“No, she needs to answer my question,” Richard said, gritting his teeth. He turned his head and glared at the angel. “This is my world we’re talking about, Gabe. Yours is safe.”

Gabe set his jaw then stood. He looked down at Richard, who raised his head and narrowed his eyes. “What?” the human snapped.

“Forgive me, Richard,” Gabe said. He reached down and pulled Richard sharply to his feet. “We’re going _now_ , and I promise I’m only doing it this way because I love you.”

“Let me go! Let me go, you worthless so-called angel!” Richard raged, spittle flying from his mouth as he struggled in Gabe’s hold. “You don’t care about me! You only want to save yourself!”

Gabe’s face fell. “No! I _DO_ care, Richard! I DO!”

“Gabe,” the Boss said. “He’s not in control anymore.” She calmly stepped to their sides and placed a hand on Richard’s brow. The human stilled at her touch and fell forward into Gabe’s arms.

“He’ll be in a better frame of mind once you’re both Transferred,” she said.

Gabe didn’t answer, just looked at the man who was unconscious in his arms. Why had it come to this?

“He didn’t mean any of what he said, Gabe,” the Boss said softly.

“I-I know,” he replied. He turned to look at her, his eyes stinging with tears. “It’s just… He looked and sounded like he did when we first met. I don’t like remembering it.”

She laid a hand on his arm. “And you both overcame it, and look at what you have now. Don’t give up on him, Gabe.”

The angel pulled Richard against him and tucked his head into his shoulder. “I’ll never do that. I can’t.”

“We won’t give up, Gabe. We all love our worlds and charges too much to do that.”

“I know, Boss. We all love you too, ya know.”

She smiled then placed a hand on both their backs. “Ready?”

He nodded and closed his eyes. “Ready.”

“Remember that while you’re inside the Ether, you’ll feel like you’re in a lucid, yet vivid, dream-like state. Richard most likely will choose a scenario that he feels safest in, and since you’ll be focused on him, you’ll be there with him as well.”

Gabe nodded and held Richard more tightly. _See you in a few seconds, my heart._

Melodic words then fell from the Guardian’s mouth as power flowed through her palms into Gabe’s and Richard’s forms. Slowly, their bodies started to pulse brightly with different hues of colors. The pulses increased in intensity and number until both Gabe and Richard seemed to burn a brilliant bronze.

The Boss then slowly drew her hands apart and the lights that were the angel and human gradually formed into two separate spheres, each about the size of a small grapefruit. She smiled as they revolved around one another, refusing to be apart.

“Have a happy dream,” she whispered. She twirled her fingers, then watched as the circling orbs drifted above her into the direction of her world’s Ether, disappearing through a vortex that only she and her fellow siblings could see.

* * *

_**Montana** _

Gabriel watched as Rich waited impatiently for Kit’s doctor to answer his call, pacing back and forth in the living room. He had been put on hold by the nurse, and his lover was about to blow a fuse. He had heard the nurse tell Rich that the doctor was on his rounds and would get to him as soon as he was finished. Gabriel had tried to calm him, but Rich had shrugged him off. All Gabriel could do then was sit and wait along with him.

The archangel’s heightened hearing caught the sound of the doctor’s voice over the phone. “Mr. Speight?” He saw Rich pause mid-stride and grip the phone tightly to his ear.

“Yes! This is Catherine Allen’s friend, Richard Speight. We met at the hospital a little over a week ago,” Rich began.

Gabriel listened as Rich explained the situation, the doctor interjecting with questions of his own. Yes, Kit had been taking her medication regularly. Yes, she had been following his orders, more or less. Well, she _did_ miss the previous night’s dose of medication.

“Missing one dose is no cause for alarm since it’s such a low dosage to begin with,” the doctor said. “If the seizures continue however, then we would have cause to worry.”

“What could that mean?” Rich asked. Gabriel also had the same thought.

“It would mean she may have epilepsy or a seizure disorder. The seizures would most likely continue for the rest of her life, and she’d have to be on medication to control them.”

Rich closed his eyes and swallowed.

Gabriel’s mind raced. Kit might end up going through what he had seen for the rest of her life because of a car wreck? He looked at the floor. Why had she even been in Idaho to begin with?

He remembered the conversation with Loki, of how she’d screamed about not wanting someone to hurt her. Had she been running for her life? He looked beside him on the couch and saw the book that he and Kit were currently reading together. Had she been coming here, because she knew she’d be safe with Rich?

“Doc?” He looked up at the sound of Rich’s voice. He was scared. “Do seizures… Could she… Do they…?”

Gabriel’s eyes widened. What was Rich asking?

“Mr. Speight, each person’s case is unique. I can’t possibly answer your question.”

The next thing Gabriel knew, he had snatched the phone from Rich’s hand. He held it to his ear. “Just tell me if…if we have to worry about her…” Dammit, he couldn’t even finish the question!

There was silence for a moment. “As with all things, an illness is an illness. It’s not a good thing to have. It can be fatal. Sometimes a seizure will cause death for unknown reasons. It’s rare, but it does happen.”

Inwardly, Gabriel seethed. _She could die because she was trying to run from an abusive asshole! Because she just wanted to be safe!_ To the doctor he replied, “Th-Thank you. I apologize for my outburst. I’m just worried. She’s my friend.”

He handed the phone back to a bewildered Rich, who talked to the doctor for a few moments more before ending the call.

“Gabriel?” the human asked, tucking his phone in his pocket. “What did the doctor tell you?”

Gabriel sighed. “He told me enough.”

* * *

Loki was trying to keep Kit from opening the bedroom window.

She had blinked up at him shortly after Gabriel had left the room and slurred, “Rich?” Loki had corrected her right away, but she kept insisting that he was his human partner, and the trickster god had concluded that she was still suffering from the aftermath of her seizure.

She then talked about needing to go to work, to get the schedules just right. Loki had gotten out of her way and watched her walk about the room. He thought she would just pace until she became aware of her surroundings, but when she went to the window and started to unlatch it, he bounded forward and stopped her.

And now he had his arms about her waist, pulling her back.

And she was _not_ having it.

“I need to get the schedule! If I don’t he’ll be hurt!”

“I can’t let you go out, you need to stay here,” Loki said calmly. He grunted when she kicked back with her leg, catching him in the shins. “Come on!”

“He’ll hurt him too!”

Loki lifted her from her feet entirely and swung her around to deposit her back on the bed. She looked up at him and he saw that her eyes were still slightly dilated. He moved to his left to dodge her attempt to push him away from her, then asked, “Who will be hurt?”

She blinked at him. “What?”

Loki felt her body go lax in his hold. “Who will be hurt?” he repeated.

“Be hurt?” Kit took a deep, tired breath. “I don’t understand…”

Realizing that she was becoming cognizant, Loki released his hold on her and stepped away. “Do you know where you are?”

She roved her gaze about the room. “Rich’s house…” she said quietly. She looked at him. “Why am I here? Why am I so tired?”

“Let’s focus on the tired for now,” Loki said. He maneuvered her to lie down on the bed and covered her with a blanket. “Sleep, and we’ll all talk once you awaken.”

He went to walk to the other side of the bed, but stopped when she grabbed his wrist. He turned to look at her.

“I don’t know why, but I’m scared—”

“I’m just going to tell the others that you’re OK now. One of us will come back to check on you later.”

She frowned. “No…it’s not that,” she said, keeping her hold on his wrist. She looked into his eyes. “I’m scared _for_ you. For _all_ of you.”

“Why?” Loki asked, turning around to face her fully. “Is it something that you remembered?”

“Remembered?” She looked at him in confusion. “No, I don’t remember anything. It’s just a…really strong feeling.”

Loki deigned to ask her about anything from the night before for the time being. “I see. It is…appreciated.”

A look of surprise crossed her face before she gave him a half-smile and replied, “You’re welcome.”

* * *

Late that afternoon, Rich went to see if Kit was still sleeping. He found her sitting on the side of the bed, examining her pajama pants. She turned her legs from side to side for a moment, then touched the front of her shirt.

“Kit?” he asked, wondering what she was doing.

“Why did I go to sleep in these clothes?”

Rich padded over to her and sat next to her, taking one of her hands into his. “Kitty, do you remember what happened last night?”

She looked at his face with confusion. “Did I do something stupid?”

“No, Darlin’, no,” Rich assured her, squeezing her hand. “It’s nothing like that at all.” He smiled softly at her. “Remember how the doctor said that you might have a seizure because of the surgery?”

Her eyes widened. “Oh no…” She took her hand from his and covered her face. “I’m never going to get well.”

“Kit,” Rich said, turning her and pulling her into a hug. “It’s OK. This is why you were put on the medication. It might’ve been worse without it.”

“I just want this all to be over,” she said, choking back a sob.

“I promise that we’ll be here with you every step of the way, Kitty,” Rich said, stroking a hand down her back.

She pulled away and looked down at her pajamas. She touched some dried mud and pine needles along the hem of her shirt. Tilting her head and wiping her eyes she asked, “Did I have it outside?”

“Outside?” Rich asked, unsure of what she was asking.

“The, uh, the seizure,” she stammered. She then indicated her dirty clothes. “I’m assuming this is from that.”

Rich sighed. “Actually, that’s from something else.”

“Something else?” she said anxiously. “Rich, what exactly happened last night?” Kit’s voice started to rise. “Am I losing more memories?”

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Rich didn’t like saying it, but it was the only way to start the conversation. “Do you remember dinner?”

She looked about the room, as if trying to focus her thoughts. “Y-Yes, we were eating.”

“And then?”

“Then—”

Rich wanted to wince as it all seemed to hit her like a freight train.

Her head whipped to him and she heaved in a breath so sharply that it had to hurt. “Oh God… _Oh God!_ ”

Rich grabbed her elbows to steady her as she started to shake. “Don’t check out on me, Kitty. Stay with me, OK?” He made sure to keep eye contact with her. “I’m with you.”

The door opened and Loki entered. He strode forward quietly and stood next to the bed. Rich tilted his head slightly to acknowledge him.

“I can hear him,” Kit whispered. Loki turned his head to her. “But I can’t see him.”

The trickster clenched his jaw. “We’ll find him. He won’t hurt you while you’re here.”

Kit turned her head slowly to look at him. “He knows who Rich is…”

“But he doesn’t know _where_ we are, Kitty,” Rich assured her. She looked back to him. “Loki, Gabriel, and I will find who hurt you. We think he might even be part of why we can’t go back to the fictional world.”

“But why would I be part of that?” Kit said. “I’m just your PA. I didn’t even know about all this fictional stuff being real until you told me.”

“Once we figure out how to contact the Guardian again, that’ll be one of the first questions we’ll ask her,” Rich said. He released his hold on her and rubbed his hands up and down her arms to comfort her. “Now you stay here and take it easy, OK? I’m gonna get you something to eat.”

“I’d like to have a shower, actually, change out of these dirty clothes,” she said. She looked at the sheets on the bed. “Change these too if it’s OK.”

“I’ll change them,” Loki said. “You go clean up.”

She gave the trickster an odd look. She turned her gaze to Rich, who nodded, then went back to Loki. “O-OK. Thanks.”

Rich looked between them, glad that Loki was finally making an effort to be friendly with her. “I’ll have something ready for you to eat by the time you’re done,” he said.

* * *

_**The Ether** _

Gabe opened his eyes and smiled.

He was standing on the beach in Hahei, New Zealand.

It was sunset, his and Richard’s favorite time of day. The breeze was just the right temperature, the sand felt wonderful under his bare feet, and the smell of the ocean was fresh and salty.

He turned his head and smiled even more.

Richard was standing next to him, his face calm and serene. Like Gabe had found himself, he was in shorts, a loose t-shirt, and barefoot. He looked like his old self, void of the rage and hatred that had filled his eyes before the Boss had put him under. Those now untroubled and tranquil eyes watched the waves roll in and out upon the shore, his face adorned with a peaceful smile.

“Before you ask, I forgive you,” Richard said, keeping his gaze upon the water. He reached up and pushed a stray lock of hair behind his ear with his hand. “I feel a hell of a lot better.”

“I have to admit, I do too,” Gabe said. He looked up and down the beach, recognizing every inch of it. “You liked it a lot here, didn’t you?”

“I had the happiest time of my existence here,” Richard said. He turned to look at Gabe. “This will always be our place.”

Gabe pulled Richard to him and held him in his arms. “It was mine too,” he whispered. He tilted his head slightly and kissed him. “Wanna go spend some time in our beach house after the sun sets?”

Richard wrapped his arms around Gabe’s neck. “Only if you promise to make me dinner first.”

Gabe threw his head back and laughed. “I can’t remember the last time I cooked!” He nuzzled Richard’s nose. “Whatever you want, Babe, it’s yours.”

“Can I have strawberries, too?”

“As many as you want.”

* * *

_**The Edge** _

As soon as he had been notified that Richard was safely inside his sister’s Ether, B had transported himself to the Edge. He had immediately erected a barrier between himself and the waves of pure Hatred that pulsed from inside the swirling void of Odium.

Its strength was tremendous!

 _Too_ tremendous…

He carefully walked towards it, catching glimpses of the Purge within its heart. But something wasn’t right... There was a gaseous, green light that swirled and wove along the currents of the black ribbons of Hate.

Never having heard of any Guardian seeing this phenomenon before, he stood and watched the gas, waiting to see how it interacted with the different parts of the Odium…

* * *

_**Montana** _

“How is she?” Gabriel asked when Loki and Rich walked into the main part of the house. The human and pagan god had just helped Kit settle back in bed after she ate her late breakfast. She had had her shower and just wanted to sleep.

The archangel was looking out the living room window at the trees in the front yard. He had just returned from being outside.

“She remembers what happened last night,” Rich said.

Gabriel turned around. “I’m guessing she didn’t take it well,” he said grimly.

“Not at all,” Loki said. “And this situation gets worse and worse.”

“I don’t know where to start in all this,” Rich said, going to the table and sitting down. “Wish we had Sam and Dean here. They’d at least have some idea of what to do.”

“That’s it!” Gabriel exclaimed. Rich and Loki looked at him in surprise. “Don’t you guys see? Dean’s here! He’s observing Jensen, remember?”

Hope bloomed in Rich’s face for a moment, then faded. “How are we supposed to get in contact with him? I don’t have another con for months!”

Gabriel sobered. “There has to be _someway_ that we can reach him!”

“Well…”

“Yes?”

Rich looked over at Loki. “You won’t like this…”

The trickster god sighed. “Get it over with… I’m starting to feel like I’m going to keep hearing things I don’t like more and more anyway…”

Gabriel snickered, but stopped when he received reproving looks from his partners. “What is it, Rich?” he asked quickly.

“Robbie. We can get Robbie involved.”

Loki and Gabriel stared at him.

“He knows Kit! He’ll want to help her too!”

“Rich…”

“Robbie is on tour with his band, and they’re going to be playing a venue in Austin, and I think Jensen is supposed to catch it.” Rich held up his hands at the highly skeptical looks that were thrown his way. “I know, I know, he might freak, but only at first. I’m sure once everything is explained, and he’s given a bit of time, he’ll be fine.”

“‘A bit of time,’” Loki repeated. “How much time? _We’re_ not even sure of how much time this has been going on, or if we even have that much time to figure out what to do!”

“Dean would be with Jensen! One of you could go with Rob, get Dean, then come back here!”

“Is it fair to get him involved this way, Rich?” Gabriel asked. Rich turned to him. “I knew that eventually your friends would’ve come to visit you here, but they would’ve met our glamor selves, not…well… _us_. Rob has a family, mutual friends with you. He’d have to keep this secret from them too.”

“He also cares about Kit, just like I do.”

Gabriel sighed. “Things were supposed to be simpler over here. Why do I feel like I’m back to being just my character?” he said, looking at Loki.

“When you figure it out, let me know,” Loki said. He crossed his arms and turned to Rich. “Call your friend. I’m going to keep trying to find a way to solve our other problem.”

* * *

_**Atlanta, Georgia** _

Rob heard his phone ringing from across his hotel room. He mumbled to himself, annoyed that he had left it out of reach while he was sitting on the couch with his guitar.

His mood changed abruptly when he saw the name on the caller ID.

“Hey, Rich! How’s Kit? Is she feeling better?”

“What? No ‘Hey Greatest Friend Ever! How’s life?’ I see how it is!” Rich’s voice joked from the other end of the phone.

“I’ll say that when I talk to the person who has actually earned that title,” Rob snarked.

“That hurt, Rob. That _really_ hurt.”

“Yeah, whatever. No, really, how is she?”

“She’s better. I think she’d be up for a visit soon actually…”

Rob pursed his lips. “You think so?” He went over to his bed and fumbled through some papers that he had tossed carelessly upon it earlier. “In about three weeks I have a few days free. I had planned on just hanging out with the guys, but since everything that’s happened…”

“I think it’d do her a world of good to see you, Robbie, and it _has_ been a while since we’ve all had a chance to catch up on things.”

“I’ll fly in on a Sunday morning and stay a few days.”

“Sounds great! I won’t tell her you’re coming. It’ll be a surprise,” Rich said, saying his last sentence in a singsong voice.

“Text me your address and I’ll get my flight plans set up,” Rob said, rolling his eyes.

“You don’t have my address?” Rich said, sounding confused.

“Nope.”

“I thought Kit gave it to you when I moved here.”

“It’s OK, man. There was a lot going on, and I just assumed that you’d get around to it eventually.”

“Yeah, there was a lot going on. She might’ve gotten overwhelmed,” Rich said. There was a pause, then he rattled off his address. “Closest airport is in Missoula. Not too far a drive from here.”

“Thanks,” Rob said, committing the address to memory. “Will get on those tickets pronto.”

“Hope the tour’s going well.”

“It is. Need to do more of these.”

“I need to catch one soon.”

“You need to _join_ one soon!”

“Might do that, if things quiet down,” Rich said cryptically.

Rob blinked. What was _that_ supposed to mean? “Always a spot open for you, regardless.”

“Thanks, Robbie.”

* * *

_**Montana** _

That night Gabriel stayed with Kit in her room. She didn’t feel like talking about what had happened the previous night, so he read to her instead. He didn’t stop to discuss each chapter like they had done before, only continued reading until he saw her drift off.

He then watched her for a while, wondering what had really happened to her. He knew that Rich and Kit were close friends, but as with all work relationships, some things were considered private. They knew nothing about where she lived or how she lived, as well as what she did after work or on her days off. That was her business and her business alone.

If only he could…

He shook his head. No! He wasn’t even sure if he could still _do_ that, and even if he could, he wasn’t sure what it would do to her.

But maybe, if he saved up enough of his grace, and was careful…

He raised his eyes and looked out the window. He’d have to talk to Rich and Loki first.

* * *

“Do you want some coffee?” Rich laid his guitar in his lap and turned his head. Loki was standing next to him holding out a mug. “I heard you out here, and you only sit and run through chords when you’re thinking.”

“Thank you,” Rich replied, taking the coffee from him. He took a sip and directed his gaze towards the view in front of him. He had come to sit on the back porch to strum on his guitar with the stars and mountain scenery as a way to focus his thoughts. “You know me too well sometimes.”

“As do you,” Loki said, taking the seat next to him. He folded his hands in his lap and closed his eyes. “I wanted to…let you know that…” Rich saw his face become troubled beneath the soft glow of starlight. “I…”

Rich leaned down and put his guitar back in its case next to his chair. He then set the mug between his and Loki’s seats and said, “You don’t have to apologize, Loki.”

“I need to let you realize that—”

“Loki.”

Loki opened his eyes as Rich stood and climbed into the trickster’s lap to straddle his waist. “You were doing what you thought was right; I was doing what I thought was right. I’m not angry.” He wrapped his arms around Loki’s shoulders and touched their foreheads together. “Are you?”

Loki squeezed his eyes shut. “No, but…” He reached up and held Rich close to him. “I feel so…”

Rich moved his hands up and held Loki’s face. “Loki… Shh… What is it?”

“Guilty,” Loki whispered. “I hurt you, hurt Gabriel…and…it turns out that I was hurting an innocent.” He opened his eyes and looked at Rich. “I almost became what I was written to be again, Baby.”

Rich pressed Loki’s head to his chest. “Never,” he said, kissing his hair and holding him close. “I’ll never let that happen.”

“Don’t let me go,” Loki pleaded, tightening his arms around Rich. “Please.”

“Come with me.”

Rich led Loki to the daybed in the corner of the porch and lay on top of him. “Take our clothes away,” he said, then kissed him sweetly. He moaned when he felt their skin touch after a simple snap. “I love you so much, Loki,” he said, lifting his lips and trailing them down Loki’s neck.

“Rich,” Loki sighed. He arched his back as the human kissed his way down his chest. “Mmm…”

Rich reached his cock and gave it one long lick from root to tip. “Can I take you?” he asked. He’d never had Loki, but he wanted to, right now. He needed to show him that he would always be there for him, always be there to catch him.

Always be there to love him.

“Please…”

He quickly parted Loki’s legs, looked at his furled opening. He leaned in and kissed it tenderly, and Loki took a deep breath in anticipation. Rich then licked at him, wetting the trickster’s hole, making it spit slick with his saliva, and Loki moaned and groaned.

“Baby… Uhhh…”

“You taste good, Loki,” Rich said, then lapped repeatedly at the trickster’s rim, making sultry noises with his mouth. Loki lifted his hips into the motions, loving the sensations.

“Rich… AH! Hah!” Loki grasped his shaft and started to stroke himself in time with Rich’s tongue.

The human pulled his face away and saw Loki touching himself. “Glad that I’m doing it right,” he said, and lowered his mouth once more to shove his tongue inside Loki’s softening orifice.

“Y-Yeah…” Loki stuttered, stroking himself a bit faster. He bit his lip as he felt Rich moving his tongue in and out, slicking him up. “G-Give me your hand, Baby…”

Rich lay a hand on Loki’s thigh, and the trickster placed his palm over it, coating it in lube. Rich swiftly moved it to Loki’s hole, but before he could touch him, Loki spoke.

“I like the burn, Rich… Give me the burn…”

The human raised his head. “I don’t understand.”

“Just shove them in me, Baby.”

Rich raised an eyebrow, then leaned forward to suck in one of Loki’s testicles between his lips. As Loki threw his head back in a loud moan, Rich thrust two fingers inside of him.

Loki cried out, hissing, “Yesssss!”

Rich was mesmerized as he started pumping his fingers in and out of his lover’s body. “Loki,” he breathed, raising his head. Loki’s chest rose up and down as he moved his hips with Rich’s hand, and the human thought that he looked absolutely gorgeous.

“More,” Loki rasped. “More…”

Another finger was worked in, and Loki sighed in pleasure. Rich rotated his wrist, stretching him open. “Is that enough? Do you want me?” he asked, then licked along Loki’s cock as he curled and twisted his fingers.

Loki mewled at Rich’s actions. “Never enough… Need you… Please…”

Rich removed his fingers and wrapped them around himself, moaning at the smooth glide of his wet hand over his hard flesh. He pushed himself up and kneeled over Loki and looked into his eyes. “Together, Loki. We’re always together.”

Loki wrapped one of his legs around Rich’s hips while Rich raised the other and put it over his shoulder. Rich then pressed against his entrance and spread him wide with his cock, and they both groaned as Loki’s tightness and warmth enveloped him.

“Mmm, Loki…” Rich breathed. “You feel…” He buried his face in Loki’s shoulder. “You take me so good…”

Loki hooked his arms up under Rich’s and pulled him against him, his own body bent almost double. “Move in me, Rich. I want to feel you,” he gasped.

Rich rolled his hips up, then pulled out slowly before rolling inward once more. He kept his thrusts firm and slow, dragging his cock hard within Loki’s channel, hitting his prostate with each forward movement of his hips.

Loki dug his fingers into Rich’s shoulders, leaving half-moon cuts with his nails. “Don’t stop… Rich, Baby… Don’t…stop…don’t…”

“I won’t… I won’t…”

Their cries and moans echoed across the lawn, drifted into the night sky. Their lovemaking consumed them as they mended hurts and feelings of loneliness from the past handful of days. Both were content to keep the pace languid and even, just enjoying the act of being together and having pleasure shared between them.

Rich sought Loki’s mouth at one point, and they kissed softly and tenderly as their bodies continued to move in sync. Sweat had formed a thin film on their skin, and it slid Loki’s cock deliciously against Rich’s abdomen.

Eventually, the pleasure built to a level that had Loki lifting his hips urgently against Rich’s. The human increased his rhythm, and soon both were breathing harshly against the other’s mouth.

“Loki.” _Kiss_. “Oh, Loki...”

“R-Rich… Baby…”

Rich leaned back and put Loki’s other leg over his shoulder then pulled his thighs tight to his chest with his arms, sitting up on his knees as he pistoned in and out of him. “Are you close, Loki? Wanna cum with you,” he rasped.

Loki pushed his hips into each of Rich’s thrusts. “Yes! Harder! Please!”

“Cum with me, Loki! Cum with me!”

“Yes!”

Suddenly, they both felt a burst of warmth spread through their chests, then shouted out the other’s name as they tumbled over together. They shook and shuddered, Rich’s hips jerking against Loki, Loki arching up away from the bed beneath him.

Shortly after, Rich lay spread out on top of Loki between his legs, Loki running his hands up and down the human’s back. The cool night air was making goosebumps break out along their sweaty skin, and they both relished the sensation.

“What was that?” Rich whispered.

Loki kissed the top of Rich’s head. “Must be part of that soul thing that the Guardian mentioned.”

Rich folded his arms across Loki’s chest and leaned his head sideways across them so he could look at the trickster’s face. “You think so?”

“It makes sense.” He ran a hand through Rich’s damp hair. They had really been at it for a while. “I think it’s time that I stop jumping to conclusions about everything, don’t you?”

“Don’t stop jumping to _all_ of them,” Rich said, snuggling against him.

Loki raised an eyebrow in question.

“Well, then we’d stop arguing as much, and not have as much make-up sex.” He yelped as Loki flipped him over.

“Gabriel is a bad influence on you,” Loki said, leaning over him.

“Not from down here he’s not,” Rich said, then moaned happily when Loki swooped down to shut him up with a kiss.

* * *

_Finally_ , Gabriel thought, watching from the kitchen window as Loki covered Rich’s body to continue their tryst on the daybed. He considered joining, but decided that the two needed this time for just them. They’d all be together soon enough.

He had been more than aware that Rich and Loki hadn’t been as intimate as they usually were in the bedroom, only really taking the archangel instead of each other. He wasn’t sure if they’d been aware of it or not, but judging from what he’d just witnessed, they were more than making up for it.

Gabriel could feel that a lot of the tension that had been inside of the house had been relieved from his lovers’ working out their differences. Unfortunately, they now had something else to worry about. The thoughts reminded him of his friend who was sleeping at the other end of the house, which also reminded him of why he had come into the kitchen in the first place.

He got a glass of water and made his way back to Kit’s room. He smiled when he realized that they all had unofficially made the guest room hers. It just seemed like the appropriate thing to do, even if she had only been there for a few days.

It was like she belonged in the house with them, and Gabriel had to admit that he would miss her terribly if she were to leave.

They had only been actual friends for a short time, but he had actually known her longer than that. Having her here, in his home, he felt like she was a close family friend.

He quietly entered her room and set the glass down on the nightstand. Touching her shoulder, he said, “Kit, you need to wake up. You fell asleep without taking your medicine.”

She turned her head in the other direction, still too deeply asleep for him to awaken her.

He sat on the bed and shook her gently. “Kit, I’m sorry, but you really do need to wake up.”

Kit groaned irritably and rolled away from him. “Gabriel,” she whined. “I was sleeping good…” He saw her open her eyes in the darkness. “It’s still dark outside. Why did you wake me?”

“I’m turning the light on, watch out,” Gabriel said. He reached over and switched on the lamp. Light flooded the room, and he saw Kit blinking her eyes. “You need to take your meds, Kit-Kat. You forgot to take them.”

She huffed and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. “Not like they’re doing anything anyway,” she complained. She sat up and held her hand out and Gabriel placed two pills into her palm. She tossed them into her mouth, then took the water from him and swallowed them down.

“They help some, which is better than nothing,” Gabriel replied. He waited for her to finish drinking and took the glass back. “You’ll get better, Kit.”

She lay back down. “I hope so. I felt...“ She hugged her pillow to her face. “It’s bad enough that I can’t remember a lot of things. What happened yesterday… Forgetting stuff that had happened just recently? That scared me even more.”

Gabriel put the glass down. “I promise that I’ll tell you everything if it happens again,” he said, looking down at her anxious face. “Don’t worry, OK?”

“You’re too nice, Gabriel,” she said. She scooted backwards and smiled. “Is it OK if you stayed until I fell asleep again?”

“Of course,” Gabriel said. He turned and settled against the headboard, stretching out his legs on the bed and crossing his ankles. “Want me to keep the lamp on?”

“I’m not afraid of the dark,” she said, then yawned. “I just don’t want to be alone.”

Gabriel turned the light off and leaned his head back. “I don’t think anyone does, Kit-Kat.”

“I’m glad I’m not alone here like I would be in L.A.”

Gabriel turned his head in her direction. “You live alone?”

She rolled to her back. “Yeah. It’s always been just me.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s right, because of…”

“Yes?”

“I’m not sure you’d like me talking to you about it,” Gabriel said, suddenly feeling like he was overstepping himself.

“Gabriel, look at all that you’ve done, and you’ve accepted me as a friend so easily. Please,” he felt her hand on his arm. “What is it?”

Gabriel hesitated, then sighed. “I know that you grew up as a foster kid, and aged out.” He covered her hand with his. “That must’ve been hard, Kit-Kat.”

She was quiet for a long moment, and Gabriel was afraid that he really _had_ gone over the line. “I’m sorry, sweetie, I shouldn’t have mentioned it—”

“No, no, it’s OK,” she said, squeezing his arm. “I just haven’t shared it with a lot of people is all.”

“I’m sorry that you didn’t realize that I knew,” Gabriel said apologetically. “Don’t be upset! I heard you talking to Rich about it one time…”

“That’s right, you were there all along, weren’t you?” she said. “I guess that means you really did meet me before I met you.”

“You thought I was lying?” Gabriel teased.

She laughed softly. “No, things are just still a little surreal for me I suppose.” She opened her mouth and yawned loudly.

“You should sleep. I won’t go anywhere,” Gabriel said, patting her hand.

“I know you won’t.” She pulled her hand away and made herself comfortable. “I trust you, Gabriel.”

He smiled. “I’m glad to hear that.”

* * *

“Gabriel,” a hushed voice whispered. “Gabriel.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s after nine.”

Gabriel cracked open one of his eyes. “Nine?” He saw Loki kneeling to his right. “Nine what?”

The trickster god gave him an amused look. “In the morning. You slept in here all night.” He tilted his head forward to Gabriel’s other side.

Gabriel turned his head and realized that he must’ve fallen asleep as he waited on Kit to do the same. She’d moved closer to him during the night and flung her arm over his stomach. “Must’ve dozed off,” he said.

“Rich told me that you had wanted to go get a few things in town today,” Loki said. Gabriel took his eyes away from Kit to look back at him. “We’d’ve gotten you up earlier, but…”

Gabriel smirked. “Hey, don’t get all shy when talking to me about _that_ ,” he said, tapping Loki playfully in the middle of his forehead with a finger. “Look who you’re talking to.”

Loki grabbed his wrist and kissed his knuckles. “Brat,” he said, then smiled as his eyes twinkled at him.

“You two are adorable,” Kit’s sleepy voice mumbled.

They both turned their heads to see her looking at them tiredly. “Is this how you act every morning?”

Gabriel laughed. “If we’re lucky.” His eyes widened after the words came out of his mouth. “I mean, um…”

Loki snorted.

“Well, I didn’t mean it that way!”

“It wouldn’t have been taken any other way if you had just left it as is.”

Kit, still half-asleep, blinked in confusion between the two of them. However, it soon clicked and she covered her mouth in an attempt to stifle her laughter.

“I’m sorry, Gabriel, but Loki has a point.”

Gabriel looked at her in mock betrayal. “I see how it is! Taking Mr. Grump’s side today, are we?” He then winked at her and patted the arm she still had across his torso.

She gasped and pulled her arm away. “Oh! Sorry about that!” she said, looking away as a pink tinge colored her cheeks.

“You must’ve gotten cold or something, it’s no biggie,” Gabriel said, shrugging. He gave her an easy grin when she looked back at him. “I’m a furnace according to Rich, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you had snuggled up to me.”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right,” Kit said, slowly looking back at him.

“Hey, is Gabriel awake?” Rich asked, walking into the room. He surveyed what was going on. “Oh, you’re both up!”

“Morning...”

“Good morning, Babe!”

Loki stood and gave him a loving smile. “I’m waiting for him to drag his ass out of bed.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “You didn’t say that Rich was waiting on me!” he complained. He rolled out of bed and stood. “Can I at least make something for me and Kit-Kat to snarf on before we go?”

* * *

Rich watched Gabriel browse the aisle at the garden supply store. He had been insistent on making the birdhouses for Kit as soon as possible. The archangel now considered himself a professional on decorating after doing all the interior design in their home, so he was surveying everything in the store with a critical eye.

And it was taking all of Rich’s patience to keep from yelling at him about it.

“This shade is just not right,” Gabriel was saying, comparing it to another that looked just like it to Rich. “I need them to complement each other!” Gabriel shook his head and set the paint can back on the shelf. “Are you sure this is the only place in the store with paint?”

“Yes, Gabriel. I went and asked personally myself. Twice.” Rich smiled painfully. “We have everything but this. Please choose something. OK?”

Gabriel sighed. “I just want it to be perfect. It’ll give her something to take her mind off of…well…” Gabriel shrugged and scratched his chin, then went back to the paint.

Rich cocked his head at his lover. He’d noticed that Gabriel had been scratching at his jaw now and then. He stepped forward and peered at the archangel’s face. “Gabriel…you have stubble.”

Gabriel paused with his hand on a can. “Uh, yeah. I was thinking that since you looked so hot and sexy with your chin pubes that I’d give it a shot.” He didn’t look at Rich as he spoke. “I mean, if you look that way, I should be able to pull it off too, right?”

“Right…” Rich said. OK, this was weird, then again, it _was_ Gabriel. “I look forward to seeing your scruff.”

Gabriel turned to him, holding up a can. “Good. Then we can tickle each other with our faces during smexy times!” He handed the can to Rich. “I think this’ll do.”

Rich took it and turned it in his hands. “You sure? We’re not going to get a mile down the road and have you change your mind?”

“Nope! This is it! These two colors”—he held up the other can—“are the ones!” His eyes then widened. “Are you _sure_ this is her favorite color?”

“Yes, Gabriel. And even if it wasn’t, she would love it, OK?” He frowned. “I know you wanted to do this to cheer her up, but you’re focusing on very minute details. What is it?”

“Oh! We should maybe get some birdseed! That would attract more birds too!” Gabriel said, taking the can of paint in Rich’s hand and placing it along with the other can into the shopping cart at their side. “What do you think?”

“Gabriel!” Rich said, grabbing his arm. “Stop!”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Gabriel said. He looked away and sighed. “But I know that you won’t let me get away with that, will you?”

“I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do, you know that, right?”

Gabriel curled the fingers of one hand into the rungs of the cart. “It’s just what the doctor said about Kit. I wish I could help her.”

“We _are_ helping her, Gabriel,” Rich said, stepping closer to him “It’s just going to take a little time to—”

“No!” Gabriel said. He immediately looked remorseful at having cut Rich off so sharply. “I mean, yes, I know we’re not gonna find answers right away.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Do we have enough time, though?”

Rich looked confused. Enough time? “What are you talking about?”

“She keeps talking about when she’ll go back to Los Angeles, and we don’t know what or who is down there, and we can’t talk to the Boss. We’re S.O.L. right now,” Gabriel said.

“It’ll be a good while before she’s able to go back on her own,” Rich said. “She’s stubborn and stronger than she looks, but she’ll be needing our help for a good while longer.”

“Still…”

“Hey.” Rich pulled Gabriel to him and hugged him. “I know. She means a lot to me too, and I’m happy that you two have become such good friends already.” He kissed Gabriel softly on the side of his neck. “But you shouldn’t be carrying so much on your own, OK? Remember your little motto? ‘Don’t keep everything inside?’”

Gabriel leaned his head against Rich’s shoulder. “I _am_ a fountain of wisdom sometimes, aren’t I?”

“Sometimes, yes,” Rich replied.

Gabriel pulled away and pecked Rich gently on the lips. “Thank you, Baby. We can go now.”

Rich sighed in relief. “Thank God!”

Gabriel laughed and grabbed the handle of the cart. “It wasn’t that bad!”

“Says you!” Rich groused as he followed Gabriel down the aisle and towards the checkout area.

“Awww, but you still love me, right?” the archangel called over his shoulder.

Rich smiled and tucked his hands into his jeans. “How could I not?”

* * *

Loki handed Kit the remote to the TV, telling her to feel free to order any movies from the pay-per-view. She had voiced how bored she had become with just sitting around doing nothing but sleeping and being read to, and, though it might make her head hurt a little, she wanted to see if she could tolerate watching a little television.

“What kind of movies do you like?” she asked, looking at the remote and pressing the “on” button. She started scrolling through the various channels looking at the available listings.

“I’m not very interested in that sort of thing,” Loki said, shrugging and sitting in a recliner with a cup of kool-aid in his hand.

“Oh, well, we don’t have to watch a movie. What about…” She scrolled further down the list. “Oh! A nature documentary!” She selected it and smiled. “It’s about whales, too!”

Loki raised his glass and took a drink. “Humpback whales,” he observed.

“They’re so beautiful. I’d love to see one before they’re gone forever.”

Loki eyed her, seeing a sad look in her eyes. “I’ve seen some before,” he said.

She turned to him with wide eyes. “Really?”

“In my world, shortly after Gabriel took my place, I went to the ocean. It was during their migration through the North Atlantic. I remember feeling jealous at how free they looked, being able to go where they pleased.” His brow creased at the thought. He knew that it was part of his written past, but it was still his past nonetheless. He just couldn’t dismiss it, no matter how much he wanted to ignore parts of his original self.

Gabriel was able to—why couldn’t he?

“That must’ve been wonderful to see,” Kit said.

Loki nodded mutely.

They watched for a short while, then Loki got up to refill his glass. Kit watched him pour the red liquid into his cup, and on his way back to his chair, she asked, “I’ve seen you drink nothing but that since I’ve gotten here. What flavor is it?”

Loki raised an eyebrow at her question. “What does it matter?” he said, taking his seat. “It’s just kool-aid.”

She folded her legs beneath her on the couch and leaned against its arm. “Then it shouldn’t be a big deal to tell me the flavor, right?”

He gave her an annoyed look. “Cherry,” he grumbled. He drank half the glass in three big swallows. “Happy?”

She blinked. “What’s wrong with cherry?”

“Nothing,” he groused.

“If you say so…”

The narrator’s voice on the documentary caught her attention as they explained the history of hunting for humpback whales, and how few there were estimated to be left in the ocean. Her expression grew sad and tears formed at the corner of her eyes.

Loki, seeing her reaction—her _innocent_ , heartfelt reaction—made a decision.

“If we find out what’s going on, get through whatever is happening, maybe you could see them.”

Kit slowly moved her gaze from the television to his. “And you’d be the one to take me?”

Loki looked away and studied the images of the large marine mammals breaching the water on the television screen. “Well, it wouldn’t just be me. Rich and Gabriel would go too.”

“But why? I thought you didn’t like me…”

He sighed and turned back to her. She was staring down at her lap and twisting her fingers together nervously. “I’ve told you: I don’t dislike you.”

Her movements stilled. “So you're just tolerating me, then,” she said softly, falling back against the couch.

Loki set his glass down and waved his hand at the television, cutting it off. “I'm trying to find out what's going on." _Watch your temper, Loki_ , he heard Rich’s voice say in his head.

She looked up at him, surprised at the sudden silence and his words. “So I'm just a piece of the puzzle to you?" Her voice sounded both hurt and angry.

"No!” he retorted, then took a deep breath when she narrowed her eyes. “No,” he said again in a calmer voice. “You're important to Rich, and Gabriel, so that makes you important to me, too."

* * *

Kit’s expression softened. She’d never heard Loki talk this way before. Could he really be changing his attitude toward her? He’d never given her the impression that he was a liar, so perhaps he really was sincere.

“Important to you?” she asked. He nodded in response. “Well, could that mean that you wouldn’t be opposed to us maybe trying to be friends?”

His eyes widened. "I don't make them easy..." he said, picking up his glass to take a drink.

“Rich and Gabriel are important to me too,” she said. She knew the direction the conversation had taken was making him uneasy, but she really did want to be his friend. “You _did_ say that you didn’t dislike me. That’s a good start, right?”

He looked at her over the rim of his glass.

She grinned. “And I don’t dislike you. Well,” she tapped the side of her chin. “I _was_ annoyed with you a good bit, but now I guess it’s all just been a misunderstanding, right?”

Loki lowered his glass and huffed out a breath. “You’re persistent, aren’t you?” he said, quirking an eyebrow at her.

"Very. It's what makes me good at my job."

"And I’m assuming that I won't get any peace about this until I give you an answer, will I?"

She crossed her arms and cocked her head at him. “Pretty much, yeah.”

Loki pinched the bridge of his nose and mumbled, “Another Gabriel. The Cosmos must hate me.” He then lowered his hand and looked right at her. "Alright, but don't expect me to just grin and bear it."

She laughed. “Of course not! Why would I want to change who you are, Loki?”

He rolled his eyes in answer.

Their attention was then diverted by the ringing of his cell phone.

“It’s Rich,” he said, looking at the ID. He accepted the call, spoke for a moment, then looked up at Kit. “They’re bringing in dinner from Hamilton. What would you like?”

She shrugged. “You pick.”

“Me?”

"Yes. I'm sure that you won't pick anything too weird..." Her voice trailed off at the gleam that appeared in the trickster’s eyes.

“You _do_ know who you’re talking to, right?” he asked with a smirk.

“Call it an exercise in trust, _friend_.”

Loki rattled off something for them to pick up, reminding them to make sure to double-check that all the ingredients were on it. Kit knew he’d done it this way to make sure that she would know exactly what she was in for. Kit felt her face pale, however she didn’t say a word as Loki cut his eyes at her to grin smugly.

"Yes, she says she wanted me to pick," he said into the phone. He shrugged then said, “Yes, she's sitting right next to me." He held out the phone to her, the same self-satisfied look still plastered on his face.

“Hello?” she said after taking the phone.

“Uh, Kit… Is he serious? Do you really want—”

"Yes Rich, it's fine. I told him to.”

“Kitty, you’ve no idea—”

“No, really. Go ahead."

There was a scuffling sound. “Kit-Kat, it’s Gabriel! _Please_ tell me that I’m going to be thoroughly entertained at dinner tonight!”

“I’ll see you two when you get back.”

She disconnected the call and chucked the phone at Loki.

“I’ll get you back for that, _friend_.”

Loki casually tossed his phone in the air and caught it. “Bring it!”


	6. Do The Walls Come Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy a long one! :)

_**The Summit** _

“It’s been a long while. How much time do you think he’ll need?”

The Boss tapped her fingers on her desk, regarding her sister’s face through the small portal hovering before her. It was the fourth time that day that she had been asked that question by one of her siblings. “Like we told you before he left, this has never been done before. There is no way of knowing how long it’ll take him to accomplish what he has set out to do.”

Her sister gave her a grim look. “Which is exactly why the more time he takes, the more dire the situation becomes. You know that this can’t become a rescue mission. It’s too dangerous for another Guardian to risk going there.”

“You’re not the first one to say this,” the Boss said. “But at the moment his world remains in existence, so we do know that he’s still with us.”

“It’s getting nearer and nearer to the time when many of us will need our charges available for Earth. There are numerous characters that went to see their performers like always. We may have to seriously consider going forward with an alternative plan.”

The Boss looked away. “I’m not giving up on our brother, not until we are absolutely certain that he hasn’t succeeded.” She turned back. “I have faith in him.”

“I admire how much you believe in him, but it won’t do any good if we’re not prepared!” her sister snapped.

“Us fighting and arguing shows that we’re far from ever being prepared,” the Boss said. “I don't think we’ve _ever_ been prepared for anything. If and when we get through this, we’re going to have to change a lot about how we take care of our worlds.”

“We shall see,” her sibling said, then abruptly shut off her connection.

The Boss bowed her head over her desk and leaned her forehead on her hands.

_Brother, please be OK..._

* * *

_**The Edge** _

So far…

...so not so good.

The Edge was like a whirlpool that was set to its side, next to what could only be described as an invisible cliffside. Harsh gusts of dark energy would pull whoever was near towards it if they were feeling dark within themselves, as well as worlds—and the characters within them—that had been tossed aside by their creators. B knew that countless personas had met their demise here, sucked into the depths of the maw before him.

B had watched the swirling miasma of the Edge for days, trying to deduce what the mysterious substance that was intermingling with the Odium was, and what exactly it was doing within it. If he had the ability, and if it were safe, he would’ve drawn out a sample of it, but that was beyond risky.

He had then searched along the perimeter of the vortex, looking for any points where the verdant gaseous matter could be entering from. But keeping his shield up was becoming taxing for him, and even though he was rather resilient, being so near the Edge for such an extended length of time was wearing on him.

He looked up at the skyless area above him, colorless because of being clouded by Hate. Love had no place here, where its antithesis had grounded itself deeply at the heart of obliteration.

Still, he had to keep looking, or the entirety of his existence—of his friends and family’s existence—would look like everything around him forever.

* * *

_**The Ether** _

“Maybe we can go to another place, once all this is over.”

Gabe looked down at the man in his arms. “Oh? And where would you like to go?”

Richard ran his fingers up Gabe’s naked chest. “Well, I really liked the world where everyone seemed to be mostly at peace. Where all those planets got mostly along with each other.” He circled one of Gabe’s nipples, making the angel shudder. “They even had those food things, where you just told it what you wanted and it made it appear? Remember?”

“Why would you want that when I can just whip you up something whenever you want it?” Gabe asked, then gasped when Richard leaned over and took his nipple into his mouth. “Richard!”

Richard nibbled on the nub, sucking softly before releasing it. “Because,” he purred, lifting his eyes to look at Gabe. “It’ll give us more time to do things like this.”

Gabe grabbed Richard by the shoulders and hauled him on top of him. “I’m so glad that you’re back to your old self.” He gripped the back of his lover’s head and crushed their lips together, devouring Richard’s hungrily.

Richard moaned, raising his hands to run them through Gabe’s hair. He released his lips and panted, “I love you, angel face…”

“Love you,” Gabe gasped, kissing him again. “Need you.”

They had no idea how they were able to be intimate in Richard’s dreamscape, they just knew that they _could_ , and they had months to make up for. It had made them wonder if this is how it was meant for characters to recharge, living the life of their own choosing.

Richard parted Gabe’s legs and, since they were in his “dream,” thrust in easily and smoothly with no trouble. Gabe hooked his knees over Richard’s elbows, and Richard pushed forward until the angel’s thighs were spread wide on the bed.

“So deep,” Gabe moaned. “You’re so deep…”

“We’ll have to try this position once we’re out of here, to see if you’re actually this bendy for real,” Richard teased, rutting against him.

Gabe groaned. “I _am_ this ‘bendy,’ thank you very much!”

In answer, Richard pulled back until he was nearly out, then thrust back in forcefully. Gabe punched out a breathless moan and reached for the headboard above him with one hand.

“Again,” he begged.

“As much as you want, baby,” Richard said, then started to pound into him.

“Ah! Ah! Yes! Yes!” Gabe cried over and over. He grabbed Richard’s arm with his other hand, bracing himself against the onslaught of the human’s motions against him.

“Don’t deserve you,” Richard breathed, leaning down and kissing Gabe heatedly. “Never be able to repay you—”

“Shut up,” Gabe said, cutting him off. “You— _AH!_ —shut up! No talking— _Uhhh!_ —that way...”

“Gabe,” Richard sighed, burying his head into the pillow next to Gabe’s head as he continued to move within him. “You’re so wonderful to me… Mmmm...”

“There!” Gabe shouted. Richard adjusted his body and drilled into Gabe’s prostate on every thrust, making the angel’s body burst with pleasure. “There, Richard!”

Richard tightened his arms on Gabe’s legs and moved faster and harder. “Come on, Gabe. Come on…”

“Nnnggh! Close!”

“Me too, baby.”

“God I love you!”

“Gabe…!”

A rush of euphoria overwhelmed them, and they felt each other’s pleasure simultaneously. It was almost too much for them to withstand each time it happened, but it never deterred them from sharing and expressing their love in the Ether.

They curled around each other shortly after, murmuring and talking softly.

Gabe briefly wondered what Rich and the others were up to on Earth as he played with Richard’s hair.

_At least they’re safe on Earth…_

* * *

_**Montana** _

Rich set the container before her and opened it, revealing a burger that just oozed intimidation. “Good luck,” he said.

Kit felt like it was staring at her, daring her to pick it up and take just one bite to see whether or not she could stomach it.

“You don’t have to eat it, Kit,” Rich said from his seat across the table.

Kit raised her head from the styrofoam box in front of her to look at him. “N-No, my friend here”—she motioned to Loki sitting to her right—“chose this for me, and I’m going to eat it with a big smile on my face!” She reached down and picked up the burger, forcing herself not to gag as the juices from the kimchi that covered it dripped into the container.

Gabriel snorted from his seat at the end of the table. “I can’t believe that you ordered that for her,” he said to Loki. “You got sick as a dog when you ate it.”

Kit inspected the food in her hands like it was a lab specimen, then turned her head and gave Loki a look. “Oh did he?”

“Yep! Turns out that spicy food isn’t good for our dear trickster’s constitution,” Gabriel said, laying a hand on Loki’s shoulder and patting it sympathetically.

Loki growled and shrugged his hand off. “Shut up.”

Rich rolled his eyes. “This is a game between them. A friend of ours made me hot chicken, and Loki never told us how it hurt his stomach until _after_ he ate one of those.” He pointed to the burger in Kit’s hands. “Ever since, Gabriel does his best to remind him of the fact.”

Kit lifted the top bun and grimaced. “I can’t believe this thing has peanut butter on it! Is it supposed to help with the heat or something?”

“No, I think the sriracha counterbalances that or something,” Gabriel said, smirking at Loki.

“I’m going to beat you later,” Loki said, glowering at Gabriel.

“Promise?” the archangel replied, raising his eyebrows up and down suggestively.

“Hey, trying not to throw up already guys,” Kit said jokingly.

Gabriel gave her an amused grin.

“OK,” Kit said, bringing the burger to her lips. “OK.” She opened her mouth and took a small bite.

They all watched her as she chewed with a contemplative expression on her face. She took another bite after she swallowed, and chewed again.

“Well?” Gabriel asked.

She raised a finger, then placed the burger back into its container. She wiped her hands clean with a napkin, then did the same to her mouth. She turned to Loki and narrowed her eyes.

“It wasn’t the most vile thing I’ve ever tasted.”

He crossed his arms. “And what would that be?”

“Are you nuts?!” she said, slapping his knee with her hand. She ignored the affronted look that appeared on his face. “Like I would tell you that! We may be friends now, but I’m onto you and your tricky ways!”

* * *

Rich smiled as he watched Gabriel holler with delight at Kit’s words. This is what he wanted, all four of them getting along. He sighed when Loki scowled at Kit. Well, mostly anyway.

“I’m guessing from the smile on your face that the trip to town went well?” Kit asked, facing away from Loki, who was apparently doing his best not to act so miffed.

Rich shared a secret look with Gabriel about their surprise. “It went fine. It would’ve gone faster if _someone_ wasn’t so picky about things,” he said, narrowing his eyes.

“I just know what I like!” Gabriel defended himself, finally opening one of his wrapped tacos. He grabbed another and handed it to Kit, who smiled in thanks. “You should be happy that I’m so picky!” He looked around the house to prove his point.

“The next time you go to town, could I go with you?”

It got quiet and Rich, Gabriel, and Loki all turned to Kit at her question. She had her wrists resting on the edge of the table, and she looked hopefully at Rich. “I’m doing better, and as long as someone is walking next to me and we’re not out too long—”

“Darlin', we think that it's best if you stay around here for the time being."

Her face fell. “But why?”

"Well,” Rich said, hating the look on her face. “We're not sure exactly about what happened to you, and if it _is_ related to what happened, you might be in danger."

Kit’s eyes widened noticeably and she looked between all three of the other occupants at the table. "You think whoever...whoever did _that_ to me, might be looking for me?"

Loki looked down at his lap. “We don’t know.”

Her hands balled into fists. "Then why should I have to stay hidden away from the rest of the world?"

"Because we don't want you to get hurt again, Kit-Kat!" Gabriel said. He gave her an apologetic look when she jumped at his tone of voice. “You were hurt before you even had your accident, remember?”

Kit looked around the table. "But how could someone even find me here? No one knows that!"

Rich recalled his conversation with Rob. "Didn't you give the address to Robbie?"

Her eyes widened. "I-I don't remember..." She leaned her forehead on one of her hands. “I don’t remember…”

“Kit…”

"Oh, God... What if I did something that I don't remember that leads him—"

Loki reached over and turned her towards him. "Hey, take it easy. You're safe here. Gabriel and I surrounded this house with his grace and my pagan magic and spells when we first moved in. It's the safest place on this planet."

Kit looked down at Loki’s hands on her arms, then into his face. “But what about other people? What about them?” She then turned her head to Rich. “Oh, God Rich! What about Rob?!"

“Kitty,” Rich said, standing up and walking slowly around the table. “Please calm down. We won't let anything happen to you, or to Robbie.”

“You don’t know that!”

Gabriel was suddenly next to her, his hand hovering above her brow. “Please, Kit. I don’t want to see you…” He swallowed. “Please, just take a deep breath before you start to hyperventilate.”

She stilled, raising her eyes to the archangel’s palm. “Please…d-don’t hurt me.”

His eyes widened as he pulled back his hand. “I’d _never_ hurt you, sweetheart.”

Loki released her and studied her face. “Are you recalling something?”

She shook her head. “I just… I don’t want anyone’s hand near my face.” She shuddered. “I don’t like it.”

Loki, Gabriel, and Rich exchanged grim looks.

“I’m not really hungry anymore,” Kit said quietly.

“That’s OK,” Rich said. “I’ll put it away for later.”

* * *

“First she can’t wait to leave the house, and now she’s terrified of someone finding her if she _does_ leave,” Rich sighed, toweling off his hair. It had taken a long time for Kit to fall asleep, and she had been adamant that she not be alone until she had done so.

“You can’t blame her, Rich,” Gabriel said, watching him from their bed. “Her world has turned upside down, and it’s in danger from something no one knows or understands.”

Rich threw the towel into the laundry hamper and went into the bathroom for a short moment to retrieve his hairbrush. He came back into the bedroom and raised it towards Gabriel, who smiled and nodded.

As Rich settled in front of the archangel so he could get his hair brushed, he said, “I just wish that we could make her feel safe. I think that she feels cooped up in here, like she’s on lockdown. We have all this beautiful country, and now I’m guessing that she won’t even want to go outside anymore.”

Gabriel ran the brush through Rich’s damp tresses. “Your hair is getting longer. I think it’s definitely growing faster than mine or Loki’s.” He parted it so he could work out any tangles easier. “And I wouldn’t worry too much about her not going outside. The birdhouses and all, ya know.”

Rich closed his eyes at the gentle movements of the brush in Gabriel’s hands. “I guess my human part is more pronounced.” He sighed as he felt his lover’s fingers trail along his neck. “I hope you’re right, about Kitty.”

Gabriel’s movements stilled, then he leaned down and kissed the side of Rich’s neck softly. “She’ll be better soon, Baby. And who knows,” he said, going back to his task. “She may even remember something that’ll help us find out what we need to help her.”

“You sound pretty confident,” Rich said, placing his hands on Gabriel’s thighs.

“Someone has to be,” Gabriel replied. He brushed all of Rich’s hair one more time, then tossed the implement to the side. “There, all finished.”

Rich turned around and pushed Gabriel to the bed. “Thank you.” He kissed Gabriel softly. “So, what do you accept as payment?”

Gabriel pressed his forefinger to his lips as he thought. “Hmm, well, an orgasm is the going rate these days for my salon expertise.”

Rich chuckled. “Are you _hungry_ , too?”

“Ohhh, that’s my required gratuity, my love…”

* * *

_**The Edge** _

It had to be coming from here!

But where?!

B liked to think that he was a patient person. Rash? Sure, he would admit that, but he could put up with a lot if he had to.

But damn if he wasn’t getting frustrated with this place.

The vortex of the Edge was vast, and he had spent weeks canvassing it. The only thing out of the ordinary was that green gaseous substance, and he was to the point of almost being desperate enough to actually interact with it.

But his world…

His charges…

Could he identify that substance, and make it back if he were hurt? Maybe he could find out what it was, get back to his siblings to tell them, and—

He jumped back as a large pulse of Hate and the mysterious vapor shot out towards him. He needed to decide soon. His barrier was growing weaker and it was starting to sense him.

But he didn’t know what to do!

“Sis…”

* * *

_**nameless dimension** _

_...ahhh, what is this?_

_...oh splendid!_

_...he has such good minions._

* * *

_**Montana** _

Kit lived in fear. She shied away from the windows, kept to the inside of any room of the house she happened to be in, and would ask that the blinds be closed if they happened to be opened. At night she would ask for someone to stay with her in her room until she fell asleep, and no one ever told her no. When she awoke in the mornings, she forced herself out of bed, even if she felt like she could sleep more.

She just couldn’t stand to be alone.

Rich, Gabriel, and Loki tried all they could do to reassure her that she was safe, but she continued to behave the same way. She only spoke when necessary, only ate when food was placed directly in front of her. They felt as if she wasn’t the same Kit who walked through their door just half a month or so ago.

Rich was lying in bed with his partners when he voiced how seriously concerned he was for her. Gabriel had just come to bed after being in Kit’s room, and the archangel and Loki were cuddling him from either side.

“I’m not sure how much longer we can let her keep going this way,” Rich said, tossing his hands over his head and sighing despondently.

Gabriel wrapped an arm around his chest and pulled himself closer. “I know, Baby. She’s barely in bed before she falls asleep. She tries to fight it, but she just can’t. I don’t see how she wakes up so early in the mornings. She’s been up before Loki lately, and you know he sees the sunrise every day without fail.”

Loki said nothing, but curled his arm around Rich too.

“I wonder if she’s getting a restful sleep to begin with,” Rich said.

“She’s scared, Rich,” Gabriel said. “She has a right to be. Maybe… Maybe we should give her a little more time.”

“It’s always about time.”

“The one constant we all have to deal with,” Loki said gloomily.

Gabriel looked between them, thinking of his friend sleeping in the other room. “She needs to get stronger is all. She’s feeling vulnerable, and her being in the state she’s in isn’t helping either. She’s a lot better than she was before, so maybe if I—”

Rich sat up abruptly, throwing off his lovers’ arms and causing them to sit up as well. “What are you saying, Gabriel?” he asked, looking at the archangel suspiciously.

“Gabriel?” Loki said, narrowing his eyes when Gabriel pressed his lips together nervously.

“I’m just… OK, it’s just an idea I had, and I’ve been using less grace for over a week now…”

Rich’s eyes opened wide. “Your face!” he said. He reached out and ran his fingers over the fine bristles that covered Gabriel’s jaw and chin. “You were…” He dropped his hand and shook his head. “Oh, Gabriel, no… No no no no no…”

Loki glared. “Gabriel, you hardly use any grace for that. What you’re proposing is ridiculous!”

Gabriel pounded his fists on the bed. “Have you guys really not been paying attention to what else I’ve _not_ been doing?” He ignored their surprised looks at his outburst. “I’ve been doing all those mundane human tasks manually, those hygienic things I detest. I’ve taken stuff by hand to and from rooms. I've even...even been brushing my teeth with a toothbrush.” He ignored Rich and Loki rolling their eyes. “Every little corner I could cut, I’ve done, and I can feel it!”

He paused to catch his breath and narrowed his eyes at his lovers. “You can’t tell me what I can do with my grace! I want to help her, and I’ve been storing it! I didn’t even know I could do it until just recently!” He gave them a pleading look. “I can do this! Please don’t try to stop me!”

“And please try to understand why we don’t want you to, Gabriel!” Rich took Gabriel’s hands in his and held them to his chest. “I know you want to help. God knows we all do, but look what almost happened to Loki! We were lucky he didn’t get obliterated with the stunt he pulled!” He closed his eyes. “I was so afraid…” He opened his eyes, blinking back tears. “I know you were just as scared as I was.”

Loki touched Rich’s back, and the human swallowed. “I can’t... “ Rich hung his head and took a broken breath. “I _can’t_...”

“But what about Kit, Rich?” Gabriel said softly. “I can help her.”

“I don’t know,” Rich replied. He lifted Gabriel’s hands to his lips and kissed them. “I don’t know…”

Loki reached forward across Rich and pulled Gabriel and the human both into his arms. He rocked them within his embrace for a moment, then laid them all onto the bed once more.

“Sleep,” he said gently. “Tomorrow is a new day.”

* * *

As always, Gabriel and Rich awoke to find their trickster already up and about. They looked at each other, and Gabriel tugged his human to him and kissed him gently on the lips.

“I love you, Rich. I’m sorry I upset you last night,” he said, his voice full of remorse. He carded his fingers through Rich’s sleep-tousled hair as he looked into his eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

Rich laid his hand on the side of Gabriel’s face and kissed him in return. “I’m sorry for getting upset with you. I know that your heart is in the right place. I just don’t want to lose you, Gabriel.”

“Come here,” Gabriel said, rolling Rich on top of him. He reached up and pulled him down to kiss him, slanting their lips together. “You won’t lose me,” he said, releasing his lips.

“Gabriel,” Rich sighed. He gasped when he felt his angel’s fingers circle his opening and swirl gently for a moment, then moaned when a slick finger probed inside. “Need you…”

“Need you too,” Gabriel said against Rich’s lips.

“Gabriel…”

Gabriel inserted another finger, and Rich felt himself loosen and slick up immediately, and he groaned. “Please...” he whined, rubbing his aroused cock against Gabriel’s own.

“Whatever you want.” Gabriel removed his fingers, grasped Rich’s hips, then lifted him above his shaft. “You wanna have make-up sex? A nice, hard, morning quickie?”

“Please, Gabriel...”

Gabriel slammed him onto his cock, and Rich keened as the head slid firmly over his prostate. Gabriel immediately started thrusting with his hips as he raised his knees and set his feet flat on the bed, using that and the downward motions of his hands on Rich’s pelvis to fuck the human senseless.

“Ah! Oh yes! Gabriel! Oh! OH!” Rich gripped Gabriel’s forearms to anchor himself as he was bounced on the archangel’s cock, crying out at every smooth, hard thrust into his hole. “Mmmm! Like that! Just like that!”

“Feel good, Baby? Like my cock hitting you RIGHT.” _Thrust!_ “THERE.” _Thrust!_ “DON’T.” _Thrust!_ “YOU?!”

“YES! YES!” Rich wailed. “FUCK YES!”

“Fuck you look so beautiful when you scream for me,” Gabriel said, tightening his hands on Rich’s hips. “You gonna cum untouched for me?”

Rich moaned.

Gabriel pumped wildly into Rich, pushing them both closer and closer.

“Hnngghh… Gabriel…”

“Cum for me, Rich. Milk my cock.”

Rich sat up and reached back with his hand, feeling that Gabriel’s testicles were hard and lifted. He massaged them, making the archangel dig his fingers into his hips and give one hard, vicious thrust that pummeled his prostate exquisitely.

Rich shouted, and he arched his back, shooting out stripes of white all over Gabriel’s abdomen. He vaguely felt Gabriel’s sac in his hand contract as he pumped his release deep within him.

They tensed against each other, mouths open as their bodies fired jolts of pleasure across their nerves. A glow filled the areas around their hearts that they readily embraced, and all too soon they came down and focused upon each other’s faces, smiling breathlessly.

That wondrous feeling happened nearly every time they made love these days, especially when the triad was all together. They absolutely reveled in it.

“I love you,” Rich said when he’d caught his breath, and leaned forward to kiss Gabriel tenderly.

Gabriel ran his hands up Rich’s sides and grasped the back of his neck with one hand while splaying the other against his back. “You’re incredible, you know that?” He kissed him soundly. “I love you too.”

* * *

Kit saw Rich carrying his guitar towards the back porch, and a part of her wanted to go with him. But she was so afraid! What if the moment she stepped outside the house, the person who hurt her found her?

It wasn’t the first time she had had the thought. She’d thrown herself into a panic attack when she realized that she’d actually been outside the house once before. It didn’t matter to her that it made no logical sense; nothing in her life did anymore.

“Kit?”

She blinked her eyes, not aware of the fact that she had been staring at Rich. “Hmm?”

“I asked if you’d like to come sit with me while I tune my guitar.”

She huddled down in her place in the middle of the couch. “I-I can’t, Rich…”

“I’ll be with you, Kitty. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She focused on his face, at the warmth and sincerity in his voice, and his eyes mirrored his words. “You’ll be with me?”

He leaned his case against the arm of the couch and knelt by her. “Kitty, I’ll be by your side the entire time.”

She battled with herself, wanting to look away from Rich’s honey gaze, but she trusted him. “O-OK…”

He smiled, then offered his hand for her to hold on to as he stood. “I won’t let go. I won’t leave you.”

Half an hour later she sat in the chair that was pulled flush with Rich’s as he tuned the strings on his guitar. She felt calm listening to him play harmonics as he adjusted the instrument’s strings. She had her eyes closed, and a warm, pleasant breeze soothed her.

“You can fall asleep if you want,” Rich said quietly. He strummed his fingers and repeated the motions. “I’ll watch over you.”

“I am tired,” she admitted.

“You shouldn’t get up so early in the mornings. You’re allowed to sleep in, you know.”

Kit sighed. “I don’t like to be alone if I don’t have to be,” she said softly. She opened her eyes and turned her head to see him looking at her in confusion.

“But you’re not alone, Kitty. We’re all here with you.”

 _For now,_ she thought. “I know, Rich. It’s just how I feel…” She closed her eyes and folded her hands in her lap. “I think I might rest, at least a little.”

* * *

“I think that’s a good idea, Darlin’,” Rich said, frowning. He could tell that she didn’t fall asleep, but he let her think that he thought she did. He then went back to his task, though he half-assed it.

He was now more troubled than ever.

* * *

That night Gabriel once again went to stay with Kit as she fell asleep. She went rather early, and no one commented on it, as usual.

Rich shook his head and quickly cleaned up the kitchen. He felt Loki watching him, but didn’t say anything.

They both did their pre-bedtime routine, then crawled into bed. Loki spooned him and kissed the back of his neck, holding him close.

“I’ve been in thinking mode all day. It’ll come to me, another way for us to travel.”

Rich reached up with his hands and gripped the arm Loki had wrapped around his chest. “I don’t know if any of us can wait anymore. Things keep getting worse. We keep finding new problems, things we didn’t know were wrong.”

“Rich,” Loki said, turning the human so he was beneath him. “What happened? This doesn’t sound like you. You sound like you’re giving up.”

“I’m not! It’s just…it’s just so much, Loki!”

“You’re not carrying it all alone, Baby,” Loki said, pulling Rich up into his arms. He kissed him and held him tightly. “Never alone.”

“Thank you,” Rich whispered.

* * *

_**I’m still here…** _

_Kit jumped, but she couldn’t see who had spoken._

_“Who are you?”_

_**Still here…** _

_“What are you talking about? What do you mean?”_

_She was in darkness. Inky-black darkness. She could hear a deep, thrumming sound that sent a jolt of fear through her._

_“Where am I?!”_

_There was a cackle of laughter that made her fear skyrocket._

_**Don’t you remember?** _

* * *

_He was surrounded by darkness and could hear a raspy voice calling out to him, but it was garbled and he couldn’t make out what it was saying._

_He felt something curl about his arms and legs, and he shouted out in alarm. He tried to fling whatever it was away, but it just tightened its hold._

_“Rich!” he heard over the jumbled noise. “Rich! Help us!”_

_“Gabriel? Loki?”_

_He twisted within his confines, turning his head about, looking about the darkness. “Gabriel! Loki!”_

_“Rich!” another voice cried._

_He jerked his head in the opposite direction. “Kit? Kitty!”_

_A blaze of green light burst in front of him, and he shut his eyes at its intensity. He then slowly opened them and was horrified at what he saw._

_Gabriel and Loki were suspended in mid-air, their bodies mangled and covered in blood. They looked at him pleadingly and cried out for help._

_“Rich!”_

_“Rich, please help!”_

_“I’m trying!” Rich pulled against the restraints on his arms and legs, but they just wound around him tighter than before. “I’m coming! Hold on!”_

_The green light from before flared around Gabriel and Loki, and they screamed in agony as they were ripped away. Rich shouted, terrified, struggling against whatever held him back._

_“NOOO!!!”_

* * *

_“I don’t remember anything! Let me out of here!” Kit cried._

_**Oh, if I could! But this is a prison of your own making!** _

_She shook her head and started to run. “Shut up! Let me out! LET ME OUT!”_

_**Just think it and you’ll be free!** _

_“That doesn't make any sense! Stop talking to me!”_

_**Fine! Remain trapped outside and within!** _

_A pulse of green-fire shot across her vision…_

* * *

_He just stared at the empty blackness where his lovers had been, tears pouring down his face. He then turned his head away quickly when the light burst forth once again. He was afraid to look, thinking that he would only see the dead remains of the other pieces of his soul._

_“R-Rich?”_

_His eyes snapped open and he slowly turned his head. “Kitty?”_

_She was lying curled up on the ground, naked and dirty, her hair lank about her head and shoulders. She was staring at him with dull, hopeless eyes. “Why?”_

_He took a broken breath as tears started to fall down his face once more. “Why what, Darlin’?” he choked out._

_She wrapped her arms around herself and started to heave and sob. “Why did you leave me, Rich? Why did you leave me here in this place all alone?”_

_“I’m sorry, Kitty,” Rich said, lowering his head and crying along with her. He didn’t know why he was apologizing, he just knew that he should. “I didn’t mean to leave you.”_

_“He hurt me, Rich. He hurt me so much…”_

* * *

“I’M SORRY!” Rich sat up in bed, screaming. “I’M SORRY!”

He repeated the words over and over again. His face was a mess of tears, and he stared unseeing into the dark bedroom. He gasped between each outburst of the phrase, and sweat poured off his body in rivulets.

Loki had jerked awake and was staring in horror at Rich, soon realizing that his lover was lost in the throes of a waking nightmare.

He sat up slowly and put a hand lightly on Rich’s arm and spoke soothingly. “Baby. Wake up.”

Rich’s voice choked off mid-scream. He blinked and seemed to become aware of himself and his surroundings. He focused his gaze on Loki’s face and started to shake as he stuttered, “You were… And he-All-uh…” His mouth started to tremble. “I’m going to be sick.”

Loki quickly conjured a small bucket for Rich to heave into and pushed the longer strands of his hair back from his face as the human emptied his stomach. He whispered comforting words to him all throughout, wondering what the hell he had seen in his nightmare that had distressed him to the point of throwing up.

Rich finally stopped, and he lifted his head and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “What will I ever do without you, Loki?” His voice sounded harsh from screaming. “Thank you for loving me.”

Loki tapped the bucket so it disappeared, then carded his fingers through Rich’s sweat-soaked hair. “You never have to thank me for that, Baby.” He ran his eyes over his form. “Let’s get you cleaned up, OK?”

“You’re not going to ask me what happened?” Rich asked as Loki helped him from the bed.

“Gabriel would want to hear about it too,” Loki answered, holding on to Rich as they padded to the bathroom. “You shouldn’t have to repeat it more than once.”

Rich leaned into him as they walked and sighed. “You’re right,” he said.

Loki gave Rich a gentle bath and washed his hair. He stood by his side as he rinsed his mouth out, and even dried and brushed his hair for him.

“Hold me,” Rich whispered when they were back in bed. Loki did so, trailing his fingers through Rich’s hair and along his back.

“I’ll stay awake until you’re asleep,” Loki said.

“Love you,” Rich said, closing his eyes as he laid his head on Loki’s chest.

Loki kissed his hair. “You as well.”

* * *

Gabriel didn’t know what to do when he heard Rich scream while Kit violently thrashed about on the bed. He’d been knocked off to the floor and had just lain there, watching her kick and flail her limbs as Rich continued to yell.

He couldn’t just leave her...

When she opened her eyes and shouted, “NO! DON’T!” he jumped to his feet and back to the bed.

He leaned over her and cursed when he saw that she was staring straight through him. “Kit?” He snapped his fingers in front of her face and she made no indication that she had noticed the gesture. “Kit-Kat!”

He sat back and ran a hand over his face. What to do?

Rich’s cries abruptly ceased and Gabriel sighed in relief. _Thank you, Loki,_ he thought. He tentatively reached out and laid a hand on Kit’s arms and she jumped, which caused him to jump too.

“Who’s there?” she said in a small, scared voice.

“Kit, it’s me,” he said calmly, staying still.

“Gabriel?”

“Yeah, Gabriel.”

She sat up slowly, releasing a broken breath. There was a beat before she whimpered, “Oh God, oh God...” and covered her head with her arms.

Gabriel wanted to embrace her. “Kit? What happened?”

She shivered. “I don’t know… I think it was my subconscious maybe? Trying to talk to me?”

“Looks like it scared the hell out of you to me.”

She raised her head and looked at him, and he felt his stomach plummet as she answered. “I think it wants to kill me.”

* * *

Gabriel and Loki held Rich’s hands as they sat on their bed the next morning, listening as he finished recounting the nightmare he had experienced. He had had to stop several times, choking on gasps and sobs which Loki and Gabriel comforted and calmed him through.

Rich looked at his partners with puffy red eyes. “I don’t know what to think of it. But it makes me hurt.” He took his hands from theirs and placed them upon his chest. “Here. When I think of you crying out my name, of Kit crying out my name, it hurts.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “It hurts so bad.”

Gabriel and Loki quickly looked at each other. This sounded familiar. _Too_ familiar.

What could it mean?

All three turned their heads at the sound of the guest room door opening and closing. Loki then turned back to Rich and laid his hand on the side of his human’s face. “I promise, Baby,” he said, looking into his eyes. “I’m going to find a way to get in touch with the Guardian. I don’t care how and what I have to do, but I _will_ get you to her.”

Rich leaned his head against Loki’s palm. “I love you.”

Loki rubbed his thumb against Rich’s cheek affectionately. “As do I.” He turned his head to Gabriel and kissed him softly.

“I know, I love you too,” Gabriel whispered. He reached out to Rich and held his face between his hands. “And I love you, dear heart. We’ll figure this out.” He laid a gentle kiss upon his lips.

“Love you,” Rich said, running a finger down the side of Gabriel’s cheek. He let his gaze move towards their bedroom door. “Don’t let Kit be alone, Gabriel. She… She needs someone near her right now.”

Gabriel had planned on being at her side when she awoke, but it seemed that their friend had other plans. “Of course, sweetheart. I’ll be her shadow if I have to. You rest, OK?” He wasn’t going to tell him about Kit’s own nightmare, at least not yet. Same with Kit; he didn’t think that they both could handle it until later.

“I’ll get him settled, Angel,” Loki told him.

“Alright,” Gabriel replied. He gave the trickster a pointed look, which Loki returned.

They needed to talk.

* * *

Gabriel walked out into the kitchen to see Kit standing in front of the coffee maker with a perplexed look on her face. She didn’t quite seem to understand what she was supposed to do.

“Kit?” Gabriel said, stepping towards her.

She turned her head to him and he quickly came to her side when he saw that her eyes were wet with tears. “What’s wrong?” he said, taking one of her hands in his.

“I don’t know how to use your coffee maker,” she blubbered.

Knowing that she was still dealing with what happened the night before, Gabriel led her to the couch. “It’s OK, sweetheart. I’ll make it for you.” He propped her up on the end of the couch and squeezed her shoulder. “Don’t cry, OK?”

Kit wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry, I just…”

“Shh, it’s OK.”

Gabriel went back into the kitchen and opened the cabinets to grab a mug. He was just about to reach in for the coffee when Loki entered.

“Making coffee?” he asked.

“Yep.”

“Phhsshh, let me.” There was the sound of clicking fingers and the mugs that Gabriel had just set on the counter were filled with hot, brown liquid. “I’ll get the creamer out of the fridge. Grab the sugar.”

“Just sugar for you, right Kit?” Gabriel called to Kit.

“Yeah, three teaspoons please,” she answered.

Gabriel prepared it for her, then brought her the mug. She thanked him, then took a small sip.

“This is really good,” she said, taking another sip. “You should make coffee every day, Loki.”

“So I’m told,” Loki said, pouring creamer and an ungodly amount of sugar into his own drink. Gabriel did just about the same to his own.

The three drank their beverages in companionable silence, then Gabriel rinsed their mugs and set them in the sink. He went to sit by Kit and asked her how she was doing.

“I’ve been better,” she replied.

“You woke earlier than I expected you to.”

“I feel like I could sleep more.”

“It’s OK if you want to, ya know.”

She looked down at her hands. “I’m not sure.”

“Kit,” Gabriel said, reaching over and covering her hands with one of his. “We’re all here, in the house. None of us will be far away.”

Kit looked over at Loki standing at the island listening to them, then over to Gabriel. The archangel shook his head. He hadn’t told Loki about her dream yet. “But—”

“You can sleep in here if you want, Kit-Kat. Would that make you feel better?” Gabriel said. The dark circles under her eyes were worse than ever, and they worried him.

“You’ll wake me?”

“Of course I will.”

She pushed herself down on the couch so she laid fully upon it. She then turned onto her side as Gabriel stood. “I know I just drank coffee, but I might as well have had water with how tired I am.”

“Sleep as long as you want,” Gabriel said, grabbing a throw from the back of the couch to lay over her.

“Thank you,” she said, pressing her face into the throw pillow under her head.

* * *

Gabriel and Loki waited until they were sure that Kit was deep asleep before they took seats at the table. Gabriel told Loki about what had occurred in Kit’s room, and both beings quickly realized that Kit’s and Rich’s nightmares had happened simultaneously. They were both alarmed at the coincidence, and even more so when they discovered that both had involved green “fire.”

Loki especially didn’t like how Kit felt that her life was in danger from her subconscious. “I need to go out,” he said, standing up and heading towards the front door.

“Out? Where are you going?” Gabriel asked, standing and following behind him.

Loki slipped his shoes on and quietly opened the door. “I told Rich I would find a way to the Summit, and I need to think. You know I have to walk to think.”

“If you go in the woods, please be careful,” Gabriel said, wrapping his fingers around Loki’s elbow. “I know you think that you’re Paul Bunyan when it comes to them, but we worry.”

Loki slid his arm around the archangel’s waist and pulled him in for a sweet kiss. “I promise, Angel.” He leaned their foreheads together. “Keep an eye on the slumbering humans for me, huh?”

Gabriel blinked at Loki’s choice of words, but nodded. “Of course, Sugar.” He didn’t want Loki to release him, but reluctantly let Loki do so and watched as he exited their home.

* * *

Rich turned his head as the door to the bedroom opened and Gabriel entered. Not closing the door, the archangel said, “Loki’s out doing his thinking thing and Kit is sleeping in the living room. I want to be able to hear her if she wakes,” he explained.

Rich nodded. He watched as Gabriel walked forward and sat on the bed beside him. “How is she?” he asked, moving over so Gabriel could lie next to him.

Gabriel leaned against the headboard, then reached to pull Rich near him so the human’s head lay on his shoulder. “She’s fine. Just tired, like she’s been the past week.” He ran his fingers through Rich’s hair, thinking. “I’m concerned.”

“We’re all concerned, Gabriel.”

“I’m concerned about both of you. I’m not sure if I can stand it any longer.”

Rich turned his head up at Gabriel, studying his face. “Gabriel, what _are_ you thinking?”

“I just… I mean…” Gabriel clenched his jaw. “I’m frustrated. It’s like there’s a ticking time bomb that’s about to go off, and all we’re doing is sitting on the sidelines twirling our thumbs being overcautious.”

Rich slowly sat up and turned until he was looking into his angel’s face. “Gabriel, if you’re seriously considering what I think you’re considering…”

“Rich, I told you that I’ve been saving—”

“NO! I can’t…I CAN'T Gabriel... The thought..." Rich fisted his hands in Gabriel’s shirt tightly. “Just NO! I almost lost Loki with his stunt! You will NOT pull one either!" Tears started to gather in his eyes as he released Gabriel and climbed over him and out of bed.

“Where are you going?!” Gabriel cried out. “You should stay inside and rest!”

Rich gathered clothes to put on, taking deep breaths to calm himself. “Just going to get some air.”

Gabriel sighed. “I didn’t mean to upset you,” he said in a small voice. “I just want to help.”

Rich paused in the act of putting his clothes on and looked over his shoulder. “You _do_ help, Gabriel. Don’t ever think that you don’t.” He finished dressing and headed out the room.

Biting his lip, Gabriel waited until he heard the front door open and close before he stood slowly from the bed. How could he convince them? Deciding to check on Kit, he walked down the hallway to the living room.

The sight of her crying had him rushing to her side. “Kit?”

She hastily scrubbed at her face with her hands. “Y-Yeah?”

“Oh Kit-Kat, don’t cry. It’ll be alright,” Gabriel said, coming to kneel in front of her. “Did you have another dream?”

She shook her head, not looking at him.

Gabriel’s brow creased in concern. “Then what is it?”

She kept her gaze averted. “I heard you, fighting with Rich.”

Gabriel grew quiet. “I see.”

“It’s my fault. All I do is make you all fight.”

“No, sweetheart, you didn’t do anything,” Gabriel said, reaching out and laying a hand on her shoulder. She stilled at his touch, but when he started to pull away she raised her hand and placed it on his wrist to stop him.

“Don’t,” she said, finally turning her eyes to him. “Please.”

He smiled and settled his hand on her shoulder. “OK.” He hated the forlorn expression on her face, the weak, tired look in her eyes. He knew that she hurt physically still and that she fought so hard to hide it. He could help her so easily—he had enough grace stored up for days. He could feel it flowing through him, vibrating at his fingertips.

But Rich would be so angry. Loki would be furious. But they needed to do something—needed to do something _now_ —and Kit was suffering needlessly. The angel part of Gabriel, the part of his character that hated to see innocents suffer, the part that he still held on to, began to tug on his heart. He silently sent apologies out to his lovers as he closed his eyes and started to send tendrils of healing grace into his friend.

* * *

Kit immediately noticed when Gabriel’s grace entered her, and she tried to pull away. Gabriel only held tightly to her shoulder, and his grace pushed even faster into her body. She tried to tell him that he didn’t have to heal her, but he shook his head, replying that he wanted to help her. She stared at him, and could only ask him to not hurt himself.

He nodded, and she closed her own eyes as she felt the pain she had been dealing with melt away. It was a unique sensation, and she suddenly sensed Gabriel within her consciousness:

_**How?** _

_**I don’t know. I think you let me in.** _

_She “saw” him raise a hand towards her, but she shied away. It was too weird. He smiled in understanding, then turned his head towards a wall. He lifted a brow in question and looked confused._

_But she had no idea what it was._

_He turned towards it, but a feeling of terror overcame her._

_**NO! Don’t go near it!** _

_He turned to her. **Why?**_

_**Just don't!** _

_A green haze appeared just beneath the surface of the wall and pulsed sickeningly, and it made both Gabriel and Kit freeze._

_**Stay away from it Gabriel!**_

* * *

Loki had wandered about the yard around the house, letting his legs take him where they wanted. Eventually, he entered the woods and sat down at the base of a large fir tree. He had been thinking hard about what he could do to reach his home of origin. The Fourth Wall was still out of the question.

He felt so helpless! Even if he hadn’t been changed he wouldn’t have had the abilities to figure out what had happened. He would never regret the transformation he had gone through for Rich; he’d never regret _anything_ he had gone through for the human who had a piece of his heart.

He thought about all he had done for Rich: The hard and freezing hike up the other world’s Mount Everest. The search for Gabriel. The agonizing hours beside the human’s bedside, waiting for him to awaken. The journey to the portal on the Moon…

The Moon…

The Moon!

He jumped to his feet.

Of course! The Moon! It had been a backdoor entrance! Gabriel’s “loophole!” He looked about himself, wanting to shout about his epiphany.

He then sobered. How were they all supposed to get there? Neither he nor Gabriel had enough power to get there on their own anymore. Even together they’d barely make it, and there was no guarantee that they’d even be able to keep themselves alive on its surface.

He turned around and punched the tree behind him, splitting its trunk and making it shudder violently. Dammit! He was so close!

* * *

Rich stood on the front porch, looking about the yard. Why did this keep happening? He thought he had gotten through to Gabriel, but the archangel always wanted to fix everything, and fix it at risk to himself! BOTH his lovers wanted to fix things that way!

Like he’d told Loki, they really wanted him to go prematurely gray.

He stumbled back as he heard a thunderous _CRACK!_ and saw one of the trees in the forest that surrounded their property shudder and sway.

“What the hell..?”

Was Loki in there? Gabriel had said that he was outside...

He leaped off the porch and started to run, his heart beating wildly in his chest. “LOKI!” he shouted at the top of his lungs. “LOKI!” He rushed in between the trees towards where he’d heard the sound, panic coursing through his body. “LOKI WHERE ARE YOU?!”

He tripped over a tree root and cried out as he fell hard to the forest floor, his teeth clenching as his breath was knocked out of him from the impact. He stayed still for just a fraction of a second before he scrambled to his feet to take off again, ignoring the burn that flared in his sternum.

“LOKI!” he shouted once again. “LOKI!”

* * *

Loki stood seething as he looked at the fractured wood. He was covered in debris and his hand was full of splinters. Small trickles of blood fell from where the tiny slivers of wood had embedded themselves into his knuckles. He tried and tried to do the right thing, to keep all those he loved safe, but he kept being blocked!

He was sick of it!

He turned his head sharply when he heard his name being called in a fearful voice.

“LOKI!”

“Rich?”

“LOKI!”

“RICH!”

He took off in the direction of his human’s voice. What was he doing here? He knew better than to be wandering about the woods! Was he lost?

He followed the sound of Rich’s cries, shouting out his name each time he heard his own. When they spotted each other, they both immediately took in the other’s appearance.

“What happened to you?!” Loki demanded, dashing forward and running his hands gently over Rich’s face. His face was covered in scratches, clothes coated in dirt and pine needles, and the knees of his jeans were torn and bloody. Loki took his hands and turned them over and saw that they were scraped badly. “Did you fall?”

“ _Me?_ Look at _you_ , Loki! You’re all bruised and cut up!” Rich said, gripping Loki’s hands. “What happened to you?” He looked about them with panicked eyes. “I heard a loud sound, and a tree looked like it was about to fall, and I thought—”

Loki pulled him forward and held him tightly to help calm him down, but Rich hissed in pain. The trickster pushed him back gently and asked, “Where?”

Rich took a hand and lay it flat on his upper chest carefully. “I did fall. But I’m OK, probably just a few scrapes.”

“Let me see,” Loki said. He lifted Rich’s shirt and frowned. His upper chest was one huge, ugly bruise. “You fell harder than you thought.”

“It’s fine,” Rich insisted. He pushed Loki’s hand away so he could tug his shirt back down. “What’s going on? Did you see the tree?”

“It was me,” Loki said, then raised a finger to stall anything else Rich was going to say. “I’ll explain later. Let’s get you back to the house.”

* * *

_**Kit, what is that?** _

_She shook her head. **I don’t know, just stay away.**_

_**Kit…** _

_**GO AWAY!** _

Gabriel’s eyes flew open and he fell forward onto Kit, who had passed out cold. He breathed in and out hard for a moment, getting his wits about him.

He heard the front door open and he lifted his head and blearily took in Rich and Loki entering, the human leaning on Loki for support. “Guys?”

“Gabriel?” Rich said, then grit his teeth as Loki led him to a chair. “What are you—”

“What happened to you guys?” Gabriel asked, standing. He looked down at Kit and pulled the blanket over her. She seemed to be sleeping for the moment.

“Long story.”

Gabriel walked over and looked him over. “What the hell happened to you?” He glanced at Loki and widened his eyes. “Shit, Loki! Your hand!”

He demanded that they tell him what happened after he grabbed the first aid kit from the bathroom, and he kept his features blank as he worked on their injuries. Pulling the splinters from Loki’s hand was an experience unto itself. When he went to dab a cotton ball soaked in alcohol onto the tiny cuts that remained, he had to hold on to the trickster’s hand firmly when he tried to jerk away.

“Be still!” he admonished. “Now, explain to me why you decided to bully a poor old tree.”

“I got mad,” Loki said. He hissed and shifted in his seat as Gabriel continued disinfecting the cuts. “I thought I’d figured out how to get back, but we just don’t have the strength.”

Rich, who was washing the dirt off his face with a wet wipe, stopped and looked at him as Gabriel raised his head. “What was it?”

* * *

“Doesn’t matter; it won’t work, and it’s not worth going over.”

Rich frowned, then glanced over at Kit. “She must be very tired.”

Gabriel paused for a fraction of a second, then went back to cleaning Loki’s hand. “Actually…”

Rich and Loki turned to him. “What?” Loki said, laying his other hand over Gabriel’s and stopping him.

Gabriel looked up at his loves, knowing that what he was about to say was going to upset them. “I healed her.”

The silence that followed was palpable. Gabriel waited for them to yell at him, to grab him by the shoulders and shake him and call him foolish.

However, he was genuinely surprised when Rich gently held both sides of his face in his hands and said, “Gabriel, are you OK? Do you feel alright? Should you even be vertical right now?”

Gabriel’s eyes widened. “What? I… Well… Yes, I feel fine.” He was completed dumbfounded.

“Are you sure, Angel?” Loki asked. Gabriel turned to him. “You’re usually barely able to move after healing a simple bruise.”

“I told you guys that I’d been saving up my grace. It worked,” Gabriel said, still not believing that they were acting so calm and concerned for him. He tilted his head. “Why aren’t you guys biting my head off?”

“I want to, believe me, I want to,” Rich said. Gabriel felt Rich’s hands start to shake against his face. “I’m so upset with you right now I could scream.”

Gabriel placed his hands on Rich’s. “Rich…”

“You and Loki are so fucking reckless, yet you do it because you care, and it makes me love you even more. But dammit, it scares the shit out of me at the same time. I don’t know how to deal with that!” Tears started to pour down Rich’s face.

“Fuck, Rich,” Gabriel said, moving to sit by him and gather him in his arms. “I didn’t mean to make you cry. I never want to make you cry. I’m so sorry…”

Loki was on Rich’s other side immediately. “We’re sorry for causing you pain, Baby.”

“Just remember how you both felt when you thought I was lost. I can’t lose you too,” Rich said softly.

“Forgive us, Baby,” Gabriel said, holding him tightly.

“I’ll always forgive you,” Rich said, leaning his head on his shoulder.

Loki nuzzled Rich’s neck, and the human turned and kissed him. “Both of you.”

They all looked over at Kit when she shifted on the couch. Loki patted Rich on the knee and whispered, “Let Gabriel take care of that bruise on your chest. I’ll take her to her room.”

“I told you I’m fine,” Rich protested, then sighed when Gabriel’s hand pressed lightly to his skin and healed his injury. “Thank you,” he said, leaning on the archangel’s shoulder.

“I don’t like you hurting. Any of you,” Gabriel added, as Loki gently picked Kit up in his arms and made his way down the hall.

* * *

Kit awoke late that evening. The sun had set a couple hours before, and her room was gray with dark shadows. She noticed right away that she felt completely rested, and that the pain she had lived with for days had disappeared. Very slowly, she moved her limbs about, amazed when it didn’t hurt. She then gingerly brought her hand up and touched her head.

Gone. The dull ache and dizziness, all of it, was gone.

Gabriel had really healed her...

Gabriel!

She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood, then stopped. It had been forever since she had been able to move so quickly and it surprised her. She reached over and turned on the lamp and walked across the room to open the door to enter the hallway.

She paused when she heard moans and groans from the other bedroom, which confused her. She had never heard anything from their room before, assuming that they had some silencing spell or charm around it.

She swallowed and started to turn around to go back to her room; it was obvious that Gabriel was fine. However, she noticed that the door was ajar just enough to see inside.

Why had it been left that way? Did they not realize it?

She shook her head. She should just go back to bed. She was an adult, and she knew how to respect others’ privacy.

She started to head back to her room, but was suddenly filled with an all-consuming need, no, _desire_ , to see what was going on inside her friends’ bedroom. It was like her legs were moving on their own accord as she moved towards the door, and she was shocked at her actions. She had never in her life reacted this way to anything before...

Once she was near, she quietly looked through the opening and caught her breath at the scene:

Rich was lying on his back on the overly large bed, Gabriel’s upper arms were on either side of Rich’s head, his knees bracing the human’s hips. The archangel was facing the foot of the bed, and Rich appeared to be thrusting into him vigorously. Loki was behind the archangel, crouched over his back, seeming to be doing the same thing. Gabriel was tossing his head from side to side, and his face was a picture of pure ecstasy.

Were they _both_ inside of Gabriel? By the looks of intense pleasure on Rich and Loki’s faces, Kit could only assume that it was so.

The bed was moving and rocking in time with their actions, and the three beings were getting louder and louder. Kit had never seen anything like it, and she felt her heart rate start to increase and her face flush.

That’s when Gabriel opened his eyes and looked straight at her.

Her hands flew up to her mouth and her eyes widened. What was he going to do?! She was intruding on a _very_ private and intimate moment between the lovers! This was grounds for getting kicked out!

What had she done?!

She waited for Gabriel to shout at her, to scream at her to get the hell out. Instead, he only stared at her and continued to moan and groan, keeping his eyes trained on hers. She was mesmerized, and couldn’t look away either.

They all looked so erotic. Rich and Loki were entirely focused on Gabriel, giving him their full attention, wringing wanton sounds from the archangel. She felt her eyes become glazed, and though she kept telling herself she needed to step back and run, Gabriel’s lust-filled eyes burned into hers, holding her in place. Why wasn’t he saying anything? Why was she reacting the way she was?

The moment was broken when Rich and Loki slammed hard into Gabriel at the same time, causing him to throw back his head and scream their names. Free of Gabriel’s intense gaze, Kit quickly and quietly stepped back across the hall and into her room, closing the door behind her.

She leaned against it and slid to the floor, placing a hand to her chest as her heart beat swiftly against her ribs. She closed her eyes, feeling a sense of euphoria flow through her.

When it faded away, she shook her head. It seemed familiar, the euphoria. She didn’t know why. Then her eyes flew open as she realized the implications of what she had done. She ran her hands over her face, her thoughts in turmoil.

What just happened? How was she supposed to face Gabriel? Would he tell Rich and Loki?

She leaned her forehead on her knees. She kept trying to deny it, but no matter how much she did, she kept imagining what it would be like to be in that bed with them.

But that was ludicrous. They were her friends.

Just friends…

* * *

Gabriel fell onto Rich, feeling Loki collapse on top of them. They all gasped for air as they caught their breaths, and he felt Rich and Loki’s hearts beating rapidly against his chest and back. He hadn’t expected them all to end up making love before bed considering the events of the day, but gentle, reassuring touches while cleaning up the kitchen after dinner had turned passionate quickly.

He sighed and turned his head, glancing at the door. He furrowed his brow when he saw that Kit was gone. He didn’t know why he had kept quiet when he caught her looking at them. It had just felt right for her to be there, like it was natural for her to watch them.

However, he knew that this changed things. Yet, things had been changing A LOT lately. For some reason, he didn’t find anything wrong at all with Kit seeing them all in bed. It made him feel warm inside, and he welcomed it.

“The door wasn’t closed all the way,” Rich said, drawing his attention.

“I think we got a bit carried away when we started all this in the living room. Must’ve not been paying attention when we made our way in here,” Gabriel said, smiling.

“Shit, I hope we didn’t wake Kit,” Rich said, covering his eyes with his hand.

“Yeah...” Gabriel said, hiding his face in Rich’s chest to cover his knowing grin.

Rich ran his hands up and down Gabriel’s sides, making the archangel shiver. “I’m hoping to see that spark back in her eyes tomorrow. I’m thankful for what you did, Gabriel.”

Gabriel kissed his chest. “It was only the right thing to do.”

Loki had been quiet up to this point. “Did anyone notice that it lasted longer?”

“Longer?” Rich asked, not following.

“I think he means the floaty space we all go to when we’re in our favorite position,” Gabriel said, wiggling his hips and making Rich and Loki groan.

“Wonder...why?” Rich rasped, eyes still closed from Gabriel’s movements.

Gabriel wondered too. He also wondered about the strange, hazy green wall in Kit’s mind. Loki and Rich were baffled by it as well.

An idea started to form in his head, but he kept it to himself. He really didn’t want to voice it until he could talk to the Guardian.

They needed to find a way to her!

* * *

_**The Edge** _

He couldn’t wait any longer. He had to risk it.

And he could only hope that he would be forgiven if it went wrong.

Reaching out a hand through the shield he had erected around himself, B sent his power towards one of the tendrils of strange green energy that swirled within the vortex of the Edge. He jerked once he made contact and had to brace his feet on the ground as it started to wrap around his own power. He focused on it, trying to discern what it was.

If felt familiar, but...sick? Yes, sick. He could sense Hate oozing throughout it, but it was overlapped with something that he knew that he should also know.

He felt his feet start to drag along on the ground, and he grit his teeth. He _had_ to identify it! He had to!

He pushed more of his power towards it, and the energy wrapped around his even more strongly, as if it wanted to suck it in. B shook his head, wanting to fight it, but he knew he had to endure it a bit longer to determine what it was.

It literally hit him when he recognized it, blasting him backwards away from the cliff. His shield shattered, and when he landed a crater formed around his body. He groaned and opened his eyes, staring up in horror as webs of the energy he had just been examining appeared above him.

The closest one wrapped tightly around his left arm, and he screamed. He turned his head as another landed in the ground to his right, and just as one was about to slam into his face, he used a bit of his remaining power and whisked himself away.

* * *

_**The Summit** _

The Boss leapt over her desk when her brother appeared on the floor of her chamber. He was yelling in pain, and she had never been more afraid in her entire existence. She had never seen one of her kind injured before. It was unheard of!

“Brother!” she shouted, dropping to her knees by his side. “What happened?!”

“Hate!” he cried, grabbing her arm and squeezing until his knuckles turned white. “It’s Hate!”

She grasped his shoulders to try to get him to be still. He was shaking and twitching from pain. “I know, Brother, I know. But how were you hurt?” She looked at the wound on his arm, grimacing at the clear shimmery fluid that surrounded it. Guardian “blood” was an odd thing. “What wounded you?”

“The Edge… It’s infected,” B gasped, flopping his head back. “Infected…”

The Boss shook her head, then waved her hand over B’s arm, cleaning the injury and bandaging it simultaneously. “Infected? How?”

B breathed in deeply. “From another world…” He clenched his teeth as a stab of pain shot through his wound. “Another world’s Ether.”

She frowned. “Ether? I don’t understand, B.”

He turned his head and looked at her. “I touched it. Felt it. Another of our sibling’s world’s Ether is in the Edge, and it’s tainted with Hate.”

“And Ether isn’t supposed to be in the Edge.”

B nodded wearily.

“So that’s what you mean by ‘infection.’ So that’s what’s causing all this? Is that how the Odium is getting out? By this tainted Ether?” The Boss watched her brother continue to breathe shallowly. “B, is that what you’re saying?”

His grip started to weaken on her arm. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. I,” he closed his eyes, then opened them. “I think I’m gonna be out of it for a while. Watch my stuff for me?”

“B! Don’t you pass out on me!” she said worriedly, grabbing his hands. “You just got back! Your world needs you! Richard and the others need you!”

“Not going anywhere. Just need to recharge…” B closed his eyes and went limp.

“I knew you shouldn’t have gone alone…” the Boss said. She sighed, then carefully picked her brother up in her arms. “Guess you get to hang out at your big sister’s place for a while…”

* * *

_**Montana** _

_You’ve ruined it all_ , Kit berated herself. _They offered to keep you safe. Gabriel **healed** you! Why are you such a screw-up?!_

She had stayed on the floor by the door the rest of the night, scenario after scenario going through her head. Gabriel ignoring her; Loki exploding at her; Rich giving her a look of horror.

Yet through it all, she _still_ felt that sense of longing, and she couldn’t understand why. She had no place here, no place with them. They were happy as they were. They didn’t need her. She would only cause trouble if she were to try—

She shook her head. _Nope! Don’t even start thinking about it, Catherine!_ she thought.

She jumped when she heard footsteps in the hall and squeezed her eyes shut. _Don’t knock on the door, don’t knock on the door,_ she thought over and over again. She couldn’t deal with seeing any of them at the moment.

She hung her head at the sound of three taps against the wood and Rich’s voice calling, “Kit? You awake? Checking on you.”

She scrambled to her feet, paused for a short moment, then opened the door. “Um… Yeah, I… Uh, yes, I am.” She braced herself, waiting for the inevitable.

Rich blinked at her reply. “Are you sure? Gabriel told us what happened…”

“Oh God, Rich! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean for it to happen! It was just—”

“Kitty! Calm down! It’s OK! I’m just glad that you’re alright!” Rich said, laying his hands on her shoulders.

Kit froze. What? “Y-You are?” she said, her eyebrows raising in complete surprise. “Why?”

He smiled. “Of course I am! Loki and I both are. We were a little pissed at Gabriel for a bit for not telling us at first, but you know how he is.”

She shook her head. “Are you sure? I mean, it’s not exactly something that people just get over about…”

“Kitty, you’re better now. I mean, look at you! I can already tell that you’ve got your strength back! You still look really tired, though. Did you have trouble sleeping?”

Comprehension dawned on her, and she took a relieved breath. “Yeah, yeah. I woke up, and I just… Well, I’ve a lot on my mind, ya know?”

“We all do. So tell me,” he said, letting go of her shoulders and leaning against the doorframe. “What were you apologizing about? Something to do with what’s on your mind?”

She felt a blush threaten to crawl up her cheeks. “Well, I-I should’ve stopped Gabriel. I wanted to check on him when I woke up, and I didn’t.” It _was_ the truth, but…

“Gabriel is fine, and don’t worry: I let him know that I’m angry at him for being stupid. But,” he cupped her face with his hand. “I won’t lie and say that I also don't love the idiot for what he did for you.”

She felt tears prick her eyes. “I need to thank him. I-I need to thank all of you.” _I need to say sorry._ “I don’t deserve what you’ve all done for me.”

Rich rubbed his thumb along her cheek. “Having you as a friend is thanks enough, Kitty.” He lowered his hand and turned. “Breakfast will be ready in a short while. You hungry?”

Kit wiped at her eyes. “Uh, yeah, sure. Let me take a quick shower first, and I’ll be right there.”

* * *

Kit spent a long time in the shower, to the point that the others started to worry that she was having some sort of trouble. Gabriel was halfway to the bathroom when she opened the door, and when their gazes met, she blanched and quickly walked by him, taking care to keep herself as far away from him as she could.

They all sat down at the table, Kit at the opposite end from Rich, Loki, and Gabriel. She picked at her food and was mostly quiet. Gabriel tried to get her to talk, to join in with funny quips, but she would only give him half-smiles and kept her eyes on her plate.

“Are you alright, Kitty?” She looked up at the sound of Rich’s voice. He and the others were looking at her with concern. “You’re so quiet. I thought you’d be bouncing off the walls now.”

She shouldn’t have met Rich’s gaze. His eyes, _their_ eyes, had a way of seeing right through her since she had seen them with their guard down. “I… That is... “ She looked at the island to her right. “I’ve been thinking.”

“About what?” Gabriel asked.

She closed her eyes. How was he acting so _normal?_ “I don’t want this to sound like I’m ungrateful or anything.” She forced herself to look at Gabriel, who had a worried expression on his face. “I am so, SO thankful for what you did, Gabriel. I never thought that I’d ever feel better.” She searched his face, trying to see if he would give her any acknowledgment of what she had done last night, but all he did was press his lips together tightly.

She sighed and looked over at Rich and Loki. “I’m thankful for you two, as well. I know that I caused a lot of grief between you, but I’m glad that you’re both OK now. And,” she looked directly at Loki. “I’m glad that I got to be your friend, in the end.”

“Why are you saying this, Kitty?” Rich said in a tense voice. “You sound like you’re saying goodbye.”

“Because she is,” Loki said.

“What?” Gabriel said, standing to his feet. “Kit, no!”

She covered her face. She had thought long and hard in the shower, standing with her head leaning against its walls. It was too uncomfortable for her to be here now! Too weird! Her friendship with the three, or at least Gabriel, wasn’t the same anymore. She was better, she could take care of herself. She didn’t have to go very far away, maybe just live in Hamilton or another nearby town.

But here, in this house with them? No, it was best for her to go.

“I’m better now. I’ve no reason to stay here anymore.”

Loki narrowed his eyes. “Why the sudden change?” His voice held a note of suspicion. “This has more to do with Gabriel healing you.”

“N-No,” she protested. “I’ve been wanting to get out of your guys’ hair ever since I got here, remember?’

“That wasn’t the case this past week,” Loki replied flatly.

Rich quickly jumped in. “Kit, you're welcome to stay as long as you want, regardless, but we told you that it's dangerous.”

“I wouldn’t go far, just to a town nearby. I’m better, I—”

Gabriel stopped her. “I couldn't help you recover your memories Kit-Kat. You're still missing them. You're not completely well, not yet.” He sounded remorseful.

Kit wanted to pound her fists onto the table in front of her. “I’m well enough!”

“Why are you shaking, Kitty? What’s really wrong?” Rich said calmly.

She looked around the table, from Rich, to Loki, then finally Gabriel. The archangel was the only other person besides herself that knew why she couldn’t say exactly what was wrong.

And it both scared and angered her even more.

“I-I’m not…”

She and Gabriel watched each other silently for a moment before he relaxed his posture. “You have nothing to be afraid of,” he said sincerely. “I promise.”

She laid her hands palm side down on the table. “Really? Nothing at all?”

Gabriel’s eyes softened. “You have my word.”

Kit looked over at Rich and Loki, then back to Gabriel. The archangel nodded, which made the tension in her shoulders fade.

“O-OK… But on one condition.”

“What? That easy?” Rich sounded surprised. He darted his gaze over to Gabriel, suspicious.

The archangel shrugged. “You know I’m just that good, Rich. Haven’t you learned by now?”

Loki rolled his eyes, then gestured to Kit. “Your condition?”

Kit had a feeling that Loki knew something was up, but had kept it to himself. He was pretty keen. “I want to do my job.”

“Your _job?_ Kit, you’re technically on medical leave at the moment. You don’t need to worry about that,” Rich said, incredulous.

“But I'm better now!” She sighed when Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “Fine! _Mostly_ better. But I can still do things! Just give me a laptop and I can still sign on to my database at work!”

Rich looked unconvinced. “I dunno…”

“Please, Rich? I’ll go crazy with nothing to do!”

He sighed and raised his hands in defeat. “OK, Darlin'. But ONLY that! And if you get tired, in any way, you're to stop!” He pointed a finger at her and glared. “Your boss says so!”

She smiled and clapped her hands, which made Rich and Gabriel chuckle and Loki’s eyes crinkle at the edges. “Will do!”

* * *

It had been a few days since Rich had given Kit his laptop to use. Gabriel was watching her as she sat cross-legged in one of the recliners working diligently, noting how she frowned from time to time when she discovered discrepancies in her work.

“Problem?” he asked, taking a seat at the end of the couch.

“I don’t understand why I put this information in the way I did! It makes no sense,” she huffed. “Wish I could remember, but oh well.” She shrugged and pulled her feet closer to herself.

They had yet to discuss between themselves the events of that night. Kit was still skittish around everyone, and Gabriel noticed that she seemed uncomfortable when he or one of his lovers became affectionate towards one another. She did her best to make sure that she was always able to stay clear of touching them—and vice versa—and had told them that she was fine to be on her own at night in her room. She would go to bed early if she saw them pile up together in one of the recliners or on the couch, even if the sun had yet to set.

Since Rich and Loki were in town on errands, Gabriel decided that now was as good a time as any to address the elephant in the room.

“Kit…”

She must’ve detected something in his tone of voice because she set the laptop aside and placed her feet on the floor. “I think I’m going to call it a night…”

“Kit-Kat, please, come on…”

“I can’t, Gabriel.” She looked down at the floor and he saw a blush form on her cheeks.

Gabriel sighed. “I'm not upset; you shouldn't be either…”

Kit started to twist her fingers in her lap. “I'm not upset.”

“Then why? Why are you avoiding me?”

She covered her face. “I don't know why I did it.”

Gabriel tilted his head. “It was an accident, I'm sure…”

She stood and turned to him. “No, you don't understand. I don't _know_ why I did it! I just _did!_ ” She ran to her room and slammed the door.

Gabriel sat on the couch, his mind whirling in confusion. What did she mean? He got to his feet and went to Kit’s room.

After knocking on her door softly he said, “Kit, please let me in. Let’s talk, OK?”

Her muffled voice came through. “No, I told you I can’t.”

“We can’t avoid this forever.”

“Gabriel, I can’t…”

He closed his eyes and let out a breath. "Please, Kit. I'm worried about you..."

There was no reply, and he sighed as he leaned his head against the door. “I should've said something. I'm sorry..."

He almost fell forward when the door opened. Kit’s face appeared and he swallowed at how distressed she looked. “Kit?”

"Please don't think that."

"What am I supposed to think?" he said, spreading his hands out on either side of his body.

She covered her face and shook her head. "I don't know. I don’t even know what _I’m_ supposed to think.”

Gabriel remembered her words in the living room. “So you couldn’t…?”

“I couldn’t help myself.” She lowered her hands and looked straight at him, and his breath caught at the guilt in her eyes. “I couldn’t.”

“I see.”

“I’m not lying,” she said, and a tear trailed down her cheek. “I promise I’m not.”

“I believe you, Kit,” Gabriel said, fighting the urge to wipe the tear away. He realized that he couldn't stand to see her cry.

“Y-You do?” she sniffled as her eyes widened.

“Of course I do. Why wouldn’t I?”

Kit wiped at her face with the back of her arm. “I don’t know, but... “ She gave him a small smile. “That makes me feel better.”

“Me too, Kit-Kat,” he said, returning it.

They stood there awkwardly for a short moment before Gabriel continued their initial conversation.

"I didn't tell them."

"I gathered that,” Kit replied, looking away from him once more.

“Hey,” Gabriel said, raising a hand. "You don't have to be ashamed of what you saw, you know."

"I'm not…” she said, staring at the wall across from her. “I just can't look at you all the same."

"Did we look that bad?" Gabriel joked.

"No!" she denied, turning to look at him sharply.

Gabriel gave her a smug, knowing grin.

"I mean...um...that is..." she stammered, then blushed madly and waved her hands in front of her face. "Gabriel stop it!"

Gabriel chuckled to himself. “I can’t. You look unbelievably adorable when you’re all flustered!” He couldn’t stop himself from bending over so he could lower her hands and kiss her cheek.

Kit froze at his actions. “Gabriel…?” she said, looking at him with wide, stunned eyes.

"Don't ever change, Kit-Kat." Gabriel gave her a wink and turned to leave. "Good night, sweetheart,” he said.

Kit stared after him in a daze as she touched her cheek.

“Good night,” she whispered.

* * *

_**nameless dimension** _

_...excellent._

_...soon._

_...no one suspects._

_...good job._

_...we’ll meet soon._

* * *

_**Montana** _

The sounds of the table saw echoed on the walls of the toolshed as Rich and Gabriel worked on making the promised birdhouses for Kit. Rich didn’t trust Gabriel to get near the machine with a ten-foot pole, so he cut the small planks of lumber while the archangel sanded and hammered the pieces together.

It was hot in the building and Rich had removed his shirt after a time. Gabriel couldn’t stop himself from admiring the sweat that formed on the human’s bare skin.

"Mr. Speight,” Gabriel said, nailing two pieces of wood together. “You're making me want to bend you over and have my way with you."

Rich, who was just about to start sawing another board, looked at his lover fondly. “Maybe later. We need to finish these.”

Gabriel sighed and stuck out his lower lip in a pout, making Rich roll his eyes beneath his safety goggles.

"I'm not having sex with you in the toolshed, Gabriel, especially with all this sawdust." He swept his arm around them to indicate the particles of wood that covered the surfaces about them, not to mention their clothes.

Gabriel went back to hammering, though he made a point of scrunching his shoulders unhappily. "Fine, fine. But,”—he shot him a miffed glance—“I'm holding you to ‘happy fun time’ later."

Rich shook his head as he braced an arm on the table. "Such a glutton, I swear."

The archangel grinned. “You know you love it.”

“Heh.”

They continued for a while, and once again Gabriel was drawn to Rich’s form. He enjoyed watching how the muscles moved so smoothly under that perfect layer of softness the human possessed, and Gabriel wondered if Kit had seen him and his lovers the way that he was seeing Rich now.

“So…” he said.

Rich handed him the piece of wood he had just finished cutting. “Yeah?”

Gabriel took the wood from him and started to sand it. “Kit seems to be doing better, now that she has something to focus on.” It didn’t take him long to finish sanding the wood smooth, and he set it on the pile next to him on the table.

Rich folded his arms, tapping a gloved hand on his elbow. “Yeah,” he smiled. “I hate to admit it,” he frowned at Gabriel. “I mean, REALLY hate to admit it, but you healing her has helped.” He dropped his hands and leaned against the table, giving him a pleading look. “Just don't do it again, OK? At least not by yourself.”

The archangel looked chagrined. "OK, I won't, but can't promise what'll happen if it's an emergency." He raised his hand when Rich went to protest. "I have to do what I have to do for you guys."

Rich frowned. "Alright, but _only_ like you said—for emergencies."

"As far as I'm concerned it _was_ an emergency. She was in pain and miserable, and she was hiding it. You and I know her well enough to see through that."

"Yeah, we do, don't we?" Rich replied. He switched the table saw’s power off and stared down at it. "Hey, Gabriel..."

Gabriel tilted his head. "Hmm?"

"You think..." He crossed his arms. "You think that she really would've left?"

"I..." Gabriel trailed off. "Rich, she was just scared. It's OK now," the archangel tried to console him.

"I wouldn't have liked it," Rich said. He caught Gabriel's gaze. "I-I've gotten used to her being here with us. Don't you think the house is, well, brighter with her in it? That it would feel...empty, too quiet, without her?"

Gabriel’s mind raced as he contemplated Rich’s words. No Kit to enjoy coffee with in the morning. To annoy Loki with crude, immature jokes. To make Rich smile while talking about memories the three shared. To see her smile…

He shook his head. “I hadn’t thought of that. I’d just assumed—”

“That she’d never leave us.”

“Rich,” Gabriel said as a thought occurred to him. “Your dream! You said…”

Rich looked pained. “I think it means more. I think it may be…” He raised a hand and touched his chest. “It hurt afterwards, and you said that I was having a nightmare the night I received the phone call from the hospital.”

Loki’s voice made them both jump and turn to him. “We need to get to the Summit _now_. Your nightmare, Kit’s nightmare,” he looked at Gabriel. “The wall you saw in her mind. I’ve been thinking that the Guardian's words about our souls were more cryptic than we thought.”

“I _hate_ when you do that!” Gabriel said, willing his heart to stop racing. “How long have you been standing there?”

Before Loki could answer him, Rich hissed in pain, pressing a hand against his chest. Gabriel, being closest to him, flew to his side and placed a hand on his sternum, the other on the side of his face.

"Baby?" Gabriel said in concern.

Rich shook his head, dropping his hand and giving the archangel a shaky smile. "It-It's OK. It stopped."

Gabriel narrowed his eyes. "That was _not_ OK, Rich. That looked exactly like what Loki and I went through when we first started hurting on our world’s Mount Everest."

Rich paled. "But...But why here? Why again?" He sucked in his bottom lip, rubbing absentmindedly at where his chest had just hurt him. "What could be—" he cut himself off as his eyes widened dramatically.

"Oh, no way!" Gabriel blurted out, having the same thought that Rich was apparently having. "Could it really be?"

Loki crossed his arms. "If you've both reached the same conclusion as I have, there's still the matter of proof."

"My dream! Her dream!" Rich said. "They were similar!"

The trickster didn't seem very convinced. "That could've been mere coincidence," he stated.

Gabriel shook his head. "I may be reaching here, but what about that whole thing that happened in the Bunker? It started happening more after we got back, and it's been getting more frequent ever since Kit came here."

They then all exchanged surprised looks.

"Alright then," Loki said after several beats of silence. "If it's true," he sighed. "If it's true...this makes things even more complicated. Not only could she be related to everything that's happening, but now..." He motioned between all three of them then looked skyward. "I hate the Cosmos for treating us like puppets."

Rich gently grasped the front of Loki’s suit jacket. “I don’t like it either, but it brought me you two.”

Loki lowered his head and placed his hands over Rich’s. “It did, and I’ll always be happy about that. I just wish that we could choose what we wanted.”

“I believe that we did. I could’ve told Gabriel no that night. I could’ve told you no.”

Gabriel came to stand next to them. “I could’ve just stayed mad at Gabe forever and not gone to your apartment.”

“See Loki?” Rich said, gazing at his trickster. “We make choices.”

“So now we need to decide what to do about Kit, right?” Gabriel said.

“Why don’t we let her decide. I…” Rich looked into Loki’s eyes, then turned to look into Gabriel’s. “I know how I feel.”

Gabriel smiled warmly. “Ditto.”

They both turned to Loki, who looked conflicted. “I don’t know,” he said. “I think… I mean, it could be…” He shook his head. “I know that I want her near us. No one should have to suffer at the hands of another because they're weaker than they are. No one should have to hurt for the entertainment of another. I won't stand for it.” He sighed and leaned his head against Rich’s. “I can’t and don’t want to see her in pain.”

“It’s OK, Sugar,” Gabriel said, stepping closer and nuzzling his neck. “We feel the same way.”

“Forgive me.”

“No, Loki. You’re amazing for being the way that you are,” Rich said, shedding his gloves and grasping the sides of Loki’s face. “I love you for that.” He kissed him deeply. “Why don’t you go check on her, huh?” He shot a look over at Gabriel. “And you get to stay here and help me clean up.”

Gabriel chuckled. “Of course I do.”

* * *

Leaving Gabriel to be ordered around by Rich, Loki went into the house. He found Kit sitting with her legs crossed in the middle of the couch, looking angrily at the laptop propped on her knees before her.

"Why the hell did I do this? I'd never cross-reference this way! And what's with this note about _not_ paying my light bill to save money for gas? Why would I put personal notes into my job’s paperwork?!" She flexed her hands over the keyboard in annoyance as her eyes skimmed the data. “What the hell was I thinking?!”

Loki watched her from the hallway, noting the way her blue eyes narrowed in frustration. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, typing in commands. She finally slammed the lid to the laptop and placed it on the end table that she had pulled up beside her.

She then noticed that she wasn’t alone anymore and looked up to see him. “Loki!” she said, pressing her hand to her chest. “You startled me!”

Loki walked into the room and tucked his hands in his pockets. “Something piss you off?” he asked, raising one of his eyebrows.

She crossed her arms and huffed out a laugh. “I pissed me off.”

“Happens to the best of us,” he said and went to sit in one of the recliners.

She looked at him for a moment, then said, "The guys still out playing in the tool shed?"

"Yes."

She cocked her head. “Is everything OK? You seem, well, more tense than usual.”

He shrugged. “Nothing wrong at all. Just sitting here with you.”

“You’re just sitting.”

He looked at her. “Yes. Sitting.”

She unfolded her legs from beneath her and let her feet touch the floor. “That’s all. Sitting.”

Loki gave her an exasperated look. “ _Yes._ ”

“Well, OK then,” she said, though she still sounded unconvinced. They sat in awkward silence for a moment, looking anywhere but at each other.

“This is weird,” Kit said.

“Why?” Loki replied, sighing in resignation.

"Because you don't 'just sit.' You usually have a drink in hand, or some candy." She regarded him thoughtfully. "Is something wrong?"

"Not at all."

"Would this be a good time to tell you that I need something from the store?"

"What?" he said, not expecting her to say that.

"Well... Normally it wouldn't be a big deal...but...I have a weird cycle, and it’ll be here in a couple weeks..." she said, looking down at her lap.

"Cycle?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm a woman. We need things once a month." She raised her head and looked at him. “You’re my friend, and friends do these kinds of things.” She frowned at him. “You’re not one of those guys who gets squeamish about it, are you?”

Loki’s eyes widened, his mouth falling open when he caught on to what she was asking him to do. “Well, I—”

Kit burst into laughter. “Oh my God! Your face!” She covered her mouth with one of her hands and wrapped an arm around her stomach. “I love it!”

Loki found himself smiling and relaxing at her mirth. “So, you were joking…?”

She shook her head and calmed herself. “No, I really do need something.” She took a deep breath. “Sorry for laughing at you. You looked like a fish out of water.”

“If you really do need them,” Loki closed his eyes, hoping he wouldn’t regret what he was about to agree to. “I’ll get what you need.”

He opened his eyes to Kit’s wide smile. “You’re a sweetie pie, Loki,” she said as she stood up to walk over to him. “I’ll write down what I need for you.” She patted him gently on the head and went in search of a pen and piece of paper.

Loki absently touched his hair, then blinked.

“Sweetie pie,” he said.

Then smiled.

_Sweetie pie._

* * *

_**Hamilton, Montana (Town)** _

“I don’t understand why we couldn’t have just zapped it into the jeep straight from the shelf,” Loki hissed as he and Gabriel stood outside the feminine hygiene aisle at the supermarket.

Gabriel chuckled. “Because that’s called _stealing_ , Sugar, and we promised Rich that we wouldn’t do that.” He took the basket from Loki and sauntered down the aisle. He turned when he noticed that Loki hadn’t moved.

“Hey! You never told me what she wanted exactly! Get your ass over here!”

Loki glowered at him, then sighed as he walked to stand by the archangel.

“These,” he said, showing the paper to Gabriel.

“Oh, they’re right here!” Gabriel said, reaching over and taking the package from the shelf near the bottom. He tossed them into the basket, then decided to grab another. “There. Doesn’t hurt to have a little stocked up.”

Loki’s expression brightened. “Why don’t we just buy all the ones that are here?”

Gabriel gave him a look. “I’m sure that’s going overboard.”

“If we’re buying two, might as well buy”—he counted what remained on the shelf—“ten, right?”

“No, Loki.”

“I say yes!”

Gabriel put a hand on his hip. “Do you _really_ want to go up to the cash register with TEN of these?”

Loki blanched. “I see your point.”

“Thought so.”

* * *

_**Montana (Home)** _

"Hey, Kitty?” Rich asked, knocking on Kit’s door.

“Come in,” Kit called, and smiled as Rich entered. “What’s up?”

Rich returned her smile. “Just seeing how you’re doing with being back on the job.”

She sighed and shook her head. “I don’t even recognize myself in the work from the past handful of months. It’s like a completely different person worked for you, Rich.”

“I promise it was you, Kitty,” Rich said, sitting at the end of her bed.

“I’ll be so glad when all this is fixed,” Kit said, tapping the side of her head. “It’s so aggravating!”

Rich reached over and laid a hand on her knee. Kit looked at it, then raised her eyes to see him smiling kindly at her. “We’ll be with you all the way, and after, Kitty.”

“Rich…”

He patted her knee, then took his hand away.

“I also wanted to ask you something else.”

“Something else?” she asked in confusion.

“That dream you had... You haven't spoken about it much... Did anything happen after you woke up? Anything hurt?”

“My dream? Gabriel told you about it?”

Rich nodded. “And Loki. I hope that was OK?”

She looked away for a second, nodded, and looked back. “I don’t mind you knowing. Any of you knowing. I trust you guys.”

“I’m glad that you do.”

“So what do you mean about me hurting?”

“Did you hurt anywhere? Like ache inside? Feel pain somewhere?”

Kit thought for a moment, focusing on her memories. “Well, I woke up screaming. My throat was sore, but it went away. My lungs hurt too, but like I said: screaming.”

Rich nodded. “Kit, I’m sorry for asking another question, and this might sound weird, but... Did anything happen the night you were healed?”

Kit felt herself blanch and she bit her lip.

Rich furrowed his brow at her reaction. “Kitty? Are you alright?”

“Well…”

“Kitty? What is it?”

They both turned their heads when they heard the front door open from down the hall. Gabriel’s voice quickly followed.

“We are back, and we come bearing the great lady stuffs!”

Kit leapt from the bed and raced out of the room. She barreled down the hallway and skidded to a halt in front of Loki. He thrust the plastic bag at her like it was contaminated, and she took it with a quick nod of thanks and a knowing smile. She then bolted to the bathroom to put its contents away.

Gabriel smirked. “Wow, you’re a hero today, Lo—”

“SHUT UP!” Loki snapped.

“You guys have fun?” Rich asked, wandering into the room.

Gabriel opened his mouth, but Loki slapped his hand over it. “Don’t,” the trickster warned him.

Rich looked between them. “I hope I get to hear the tale someday, at least.”

Loki glared at him. “You might be waiting for a long time.”

Gabriel shoved his hand away. “Meanie.”

“You guys have _great_ timing, you know that?” Rich said, changing the subject as he looked back over his shoulder towards the hallway.

“Huh? What do you mean, Rich?” Gabriel asked.

“I think Kit felt something the other night too.”

Gabriel’s eyes widened in astonishment. “Do you really think so?” He thought back to her watching them, to her saying that she couldn’t stop herself from doing so. Could she really feel it? Could she be…?

“It might be imperative to find Dean a different way, Rich,” Loki said.

* * *

Kit leaned over the sink after shoving the bag beneath it; hopefully that would serve as a convenient place for now. She was glad that Gabriel and Loki had arrived and saved her from answering Rich’s question. She just couldn’t talk about what had happened just yet.

Her face was hot and her breath stuttered as the images flashed through her mind. All three had looked amazing to her, and she had fought with herself the past few nights to keep her hands at her side while in bed. She couldn’t act on the thoughts that made her feel the way she did.

She turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on her face. This wouldn't do at all! She wasn’t sure how much longer she would be able to handle this!

She raised her head as she grabbed a towel, then froze. The reflection in the mirror above the sink was grinning at her.

And she knew for a fact that she was _not_ grinning.

 _Just do it,_ her reflection said.

Kit dropped the towel and took a step back, feeling drops of water run down her neck. What was happening?!

Her reflection rolled its eyes. _Of course, you ‘forgot.’ So inconvenient._ Its face seemed to enlarge until it filled the entire mirror. _I told you that I would be watching, and it’s been so boring. I’m tired of it. I need some entertainment, and this is just what I need._

“What are you? What do you mean?” Kit demanded. She wanted to scream out for help, but something was preventing her from doing so.

 _Why, I’m the one who owns you. You were a gift to me._ The face cast a glance towards the side. _Go on, call them. I want to see. It’s so dull from behind here._

Kit’s eyes widened. “No! I’m no one’s! Get out! Leave me alone! Leave us alone!” She looked around the bathroom widely and her eyes landed on her razor that sat on the edge of the tub. She darted over and grabbed it and held it in her hand tightly. “Go away!”

Her mirror-image threw back its head and cackled. _Do you **really** think that I’m afraid of you and your weak human self? You just wait until the rest of me crosses over!_ Its eyes gave off a sickly pale green glow as its head lowered. _I and my brethren will have you all._

“STAY AWAY! STAY AWAY!” Kit screamed, turning the razor in her hand and stabbing its handle into the mirror. The glass shattered and shards went flying all around her. Pieces flew into her face and across her arms, but she ignored the cuts that they caused. She kept screaming and pounding the razor into the glass, wanting to make the image disappear.

“I WON’T LET YOU! I WON’T LET YOU! LEAVE US ALONE! LEAVE US ALONE!”

* * *

Rich, Gabriel, and Loki turned their heads in shock at the sounds of breaking glass and Kit’s frantic screams and cries. They took off towards the bathroom, and Loki ripped the door off its hinges and threw it down the hallway.

They stopped themselves from running towards Kit as she turned to look at them in terror. Loki’s actions had half-way startled her, and she looked like she would bolt. She stared at the trio, blood pouring from numerous lacerations all over her arms, face, and neck. She had slivers and small shards of glass embedded in her skin, but she seemed not to notice them.

“It wants to hurt us. It wants me to use you,” she said, tears running down her face. Her lower lip trembled and she gripped the razor in her hand and they saw blood drip from between her fingers. “I can’t let it do that. You mean too much to me.” Her face started to crumble. “I have to stop it!”

She turned back and started to punch at the mirror again. “I have to stop it!” she said again, her breath coming out in painful gasps and sobs.

“Kit,” Rich said, extending his arm. “Please, stop! You’re hurt!”

Kit ignored him, clearly determined to demolish the mirror in front of her.

Rich turned to Loki and Gabriel helplessly. “Guys…” he pleaded.

Gabriel looked into his human’s eyes. “I know, Rich. I know.” He gave his human’s shoulder a comforting squeeze and shared a look with Loki before waving his hand. The glass on the floor disappeared, making it safe for him to step forward on his socked feet.

“Kit-Kat?” he said softly. He paused as she hesitated at the sound of his voice. “Hey, it’s me.”

“Stay away, she’ll hurt you,” she said, still not moving. She looked at him from the corner of her eye. “Please, don’t get near me.”

“But I want to help,” Gabriel said. “Please let me help.”

She closed her eyes. “She wants me to use you. I won’t do it,” she said, her voice breaking.

“We know that you’d never do that, sweetheart.”

Kit sobbed. “I wouldn’t. I couldn’t.”

“Then let us help you. Please.”

The razor clattered into the sink and Kit’s knees buckled. Gabriel shot forward and caught her before she hit the floor, ignoring the glass and blood that covered her. Kit clung to him and cried, and Gabriel held her tightly to him.

“Shh, Kit. I’ve got you. It’s OK,” he whispered against her head as he brought them both gently to the floor so he could rock her in his arms. “We’re here,” he added, seeing Rich and Loki kneel next to them.

“I want it to go away. I want to be me again,” she begged. “I don’t even know who I am anymore.”

“You’re an amazing person, Kitty,” Rich said softly. “That’s who you are. I’ve known that since I met you. I knew you were the right person to help me after I asked you how old you were, and you told me ‘I’m 1983’ because you were so nervous that you got your age and the year you were born mixed up in your head. That made me laugh for the first time in months.”

“And I can help you, if you’ll let me,” Gabriel added. He slid a large piece of glass from her hair. “Please let me?”

Loki was looking at the wounds on Kit’s arms. “Gabriel,” he said, nodding at them. While the archangel inspected them for himself, Loki spoke to Kit. “I agree with Rich. You put others first, just like he does. It’s an admirable trait.”

Gabriel went to lay his hand upon Kit’s arm, but she stopped him. “No, I can’t let you. Just…just patch me up,” she said.

“And you’re stubborn,” Loki said, scowling at her.

“Reminds me of someone else I know,” Gabriel said, smiling. He looked down at Kit and sighed. “It’s OK, sweetheart. I can handle it, and take care of these too.”

Kit shook her head. “But you’ll be weak after.”

“I’ve figured out a way around that mostly,” Gabriel said confidently.

“Kitty, please let him help you. You’re hurt pretty bad, Darlin’,” Rich said worriedly.

She turned to look at him, her eyes filling with tears. “OK, Rich. OK.”

Gabriel gently placed his hand palm-side down on her arm and sent his grace through it. Kit closed her eyes and shivered, and the archangel closed his eyes as well.

* * *

_Once again, he found himself within her mind, but this time he was in front of the mysterious wall._

_It looked…cracked. Vapors of green escaped through the cracks, and Gabriel sensed that they were malicious. He looked over his shoulder and saw Kit standing behind him._

_**It’s in there,** she said._

_**What you’re afraid of?** _

_She creased her eyebrows. **More than that.**_

_**More?** _

_**It has…things.** _

_**Things? Like your memories?** _

_She nodded. **I’m afraid, though. What if they’re ones I don’t want to remember?**_

_He turned around and placed his hands on the top of her shoulders. **You said that you wanted to be yourself again. That includes remembering the bad with the good.**_

_She reached out and gripped his shirt. **But what if it’s something horrible? What if I forgot for a reason, Gabriel?** she said, sounding afraid._

_Gabriel’s eyes softened. **Then we’ll deal with it together. I told you that you weren’t alone, Kit-Kat, and I meant it.**_

_He stepped back and held out his hand. **Come on, I'll be with you all the way, OK?**_

_**Promise?** she asked, looking between his hand and the intimidating wall behind him._

_He reached for her fingers with his and smiled when she allowed him to entwine them together. **No matter what.**_

_**OK.** _

_He led her towards the wall, then tightened his hand around hers. **Don’t let go,** he said to her, then put his other hand against it._

_The cracks on the wall increased and verdant light shot through them. Gabriel and Kit turned their heads away as it grew brighter, but Gabriel kept his hand against the wall. He pulled Kit to his side, yelling for her to stay, to not let go._

_He heard her scream, felt her grip loosen. He crushed his fingers around hers, refusing to release her…_

_He was then bombarded with images:_

_A hairless man, covered with black scars, pupilless eyes. Kit screaming in agony, suspended over a swirling pit. Being beaten. Starving. Having to lie and spy. Nights spent in pain and crying. Suffering and being lonely. Guilt at what she was being forced to do to Rich, to Rob. Being terrified of this man, this Cormac. The weekly infusions of… **Odium**? Fleeing for her life. The car wreck. The reason for the wall in the first place…_

* * *

He gasped for air as he was jerked back to reality. Loki’s face was in front of his, the trickster’s hands on his upper arms.

“Angel! _Angel!_ Are you with me? Are you alright?” Loki’s face and voice were full of panic. “Say something, Gabriel!”

Gabriel’s eyes moved back and forth across Loki’s face as he breathed, then looked to his side to see that Kit was in Rich’s arms. She was staring at him with eyes as panicked as Loki’s. “I-I’m…”

“What happened? You two started to act like you were scared to death!” Rich said, holding Kit closer to him. “Her wounds healed up, then you both just sat there.”

“I…I helped her get her memories back,” Gabriel whispered. He locked eyes with Kit, who shuddered and buried her face in Rich’s chest. “Oh, Kit-Kat...“ Gabriel covered his face with his hands.

“What?” Loki asked grimly. The look on Rich’s face mirrored his tone of voice. “What is it?”

“I can’t say it out loud,” Gabriel said quietly. He leaned forward and touched Kit’s arm. “Can I show them?”

She nodded against Rich’s chest. “I need them to.” She then pulled back and gave both Rich and Loki a fearful look. “I’m sorry.”

“For what, Kitty?” Rich asked, running a hand up her healed arm.

Kit swallowed back a sob. “I’m just sorry.”

“Show us,” Loki said.

Gabriel sighed and leaned forward. He touched a hand to Loki and Rich’s, then closed his eyes as he shared what he had seen in Kit’s memories. It only took a short moment, but it seemed to last forever.

Loki and Rich inhaled sharply when Gabriel removed his hands, and Kit burst into tears. “I’m sorry. Oh God, I’m sorry—”

She jumped as Loki shot to his feet and slammed his fist through the wall up to his elbow. “I’ll kill him,” he hissed under his breath. “I’ll fucking _murder_ him…”

They all watched in shock as he wrenched his arm free and stormed out, flinching when the back door slammed violently.

“Go after him,” Rich said, turning Kit’s face into his shoulder as she completely lost it. “Go after him before he—”

“I know,” Gabriel said, standing to his feet. Rich remained on the floor with his arms wrapped securely around Kit. “Stay with her, Baby.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Gabriel.”

* * *

The moon was mostly hidden behind the clouds as Loki strode towards the treeline. It gave off just enough light for him to see where he was going, and for what he wanted to do. He stopped at the edge of the yard and just stared at the large trees, his breaths increasing until he nearly hyperventilated.

Then he exploded.

“FUCK FUCK FUCK!!!” he cursed, slamming his fists over and over into tree after tree. All this time! ALL THIS TIME! He was an asshole to her! An asshole to Rich! To Gabriel! And she had come to Rich to escape being beaten!

What the hell had he been thinking?!

He was a monster! Just like he had been written to be!

He needed to go kill the bastard who hurt her. It was the only way he could vindicate himself. To show Rich and Gabriel that he wasn’t what he’d been created as! He had to show them! To show—

He froze at his next punch.

He had to show _her._

The image of her tear-streaked, guilt-ridden face slammed across his consciousness. She had said sorry to him. She’d apologized to _him._

He roared in fury, grabbed the tree, and ripped it from the ground. “I DON’T DESERVE THAT!!!” he screamed. He swung the tree at the ones behind it, splintering them and crashing them to the ground.

“LOKI!”

He dropped the tree in his hands, causing a thunderous boom to ricochet across the large yard. He slowly turned to see Gabriel standing several feet behind him.

“What?” he said, huffing out ragged breaths.

“You need to stop, Loki.”

“Why?”

“It isn’t your fault.”

Loki turned from him. “Leave me alone, Gabriel.”

“No.”

“Drop it, Gabriel.”

He heard the archangel walk up closer. “You know I can’t do that, Loki.”

Loki picked up the tree he had dropped so he could continue venting his anger. “Fine. You can watch then.”

The sound of the back porch door opening echoed from behind them. “Loki, _please_...”

“Fuck off, Angel…”

“Sugar, I’m begging you…”

Loki lifted the tree and prepared to slam it viciously into the others before him. He flexed his arms and braced his legs, about to bring it down to demolish them, to release the rage that coursed through his veins—

He shouted out in anger and surprise when he felt Gabriel’s arms wrap tightly around his torso. “DROP IT, LOKI!”

Loki struggled. “LET ME GO, GABRIEL!” He twisted and moved his shoulders in the archangel’s grip. “I MEAN IT! LET ME GO!”

“NO!”

Loki tried to kick back with legs, but Gabriel was quick on his feet and dodged him. “JUST DROP IT LOKI!”

They fought with each other, each refusing to give in. “DAMMIT GABRIEL! DON’T MAKE ME USE MY MAGIC!”

“DO IT! I’VE STILL GOT GAS IN THE TANK!”

Finally, Loki dropped the tree, but only to reach up and dig his fingers into Gabriel’s forearms. “I’ll just pick it up again!” he seethed in a low voice.

Gabriel hissed but kept his hold on Loki. “You won’t…”

“How do you know?”

Gabriel spun them around and said in a pained voice, “Look.”

Loki felt his heart stop.

Kit was sitting on the floor of the back porch, her hand over mouth. Tears fell down her face in rivulets and she looked absolutely terrified. Rich sat behind her, supporting her so she wouldn’t fall backwards. He had his arms wrapped around her waist and Loki could tell that he was trying to calm her down.

The clouds in the sky chose that moment to clear and the total light of the moon shone down upon them all, and Loki saw the eyes of the humans on the porch widen. He felt Gabriel tense and inhale sharply, his grip loosening before letting him go. Loki then turned slowly to look at him, and his mouth fell open.

* * *

On the porch, Kit looked over at Rich and said, “Are those what I think they are?”

“Yeah, Kitty, they are,” Rich said, smiling.

“What does it mean?”

“It means that we’re a lot closer to finding out what’s going on.” He hugged her tightly to him. “And helping you.”

She lowered her head and wiped at her eyes. “Why would you help me, Rich? After all I’ve done?”

Rich raised a hand and put a finger under her chin so he could turn her head towards him. “Because we care, Kitty.” He leaned his forehead against hers to look into her eyes.

“Because we care.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sending a HUGE shoutout to the brilliant [Samshine_and_Lollipops](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samshine_and_Lollipops/pseuds/Samshine_and_Lollipops) for her amazing series [Art School](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1491455). If you're a Sabriel fan and enjoy angst, fluff, feels, and yummy smut, then this is right up your alley!
> 
> Oh, and did I mention that she creates her own fanart? And that it's jaw-dropping?
> 
> Yeah, GO READ! GO LOOK!
> 
> GO! NOW! DO IT!


	7. Heard Through The Wall part 1

_**The Summit** _

Everyone was talking at once, and the Boss just let them. Most of her thoughts were on her brother, who lay unconscious in one of the alcoves of her home. She had never seen one of her kind in such a state before, and his pain and distress had unnerved her in a way she had never experienced.

“Sister! SISTER!”

She jerked her head up. Chief was addressing her, looking at her in concern. “Yes?” she said, lowering her hands from beneath her chin. “What is it?”

“We were asking you about implementing what we discussed.”

The Boss shook her head. “I don’t know anymore.”

There was almost an uproar, exclamations of disbelief, shouts of indignation. The Boss covered her face with her hands. She was becoming overwhelmed.

“SILENCE!” Chief roared.

The others looked at her in surprise. The Chief, along with the Boss, were the two oldest Guardians present, and the Boss depended upon her for support. “It’s time that someone took the lead here. B was right: debating is getting us nowhere.”

The Boss took a deep breath. “Thank you, Chief.” She looked around at the multiple portals, not liking how they were smaller now that each Guardian was worried about expending too much energy to keep them normal-sized. “I had been reluctant to broach this subject, but I believe that these forums are not working. In fact, I believe that the protocols for everything in regards to the interactions of our worlds are not working.” She sighed and squared her shoulders. “We need to change all of it. What’s happening is proof that it’s flawed.”

There was a current of murmuring as the others considered her words. Chief nodded her approval right away. Some of the younger Guardians looked intrigued, while others were rather skeptical.

“So you’re saying that we should have, what? Someone in charge of all of us? Making the decisions that we all have to abide by regardless?” one of her brothers asked. He wore the facade of a character whose yellow eyes had vertical, thin-slitted pupils. He had short, curly, deep auburn hair and was wearing a black hooded toga. His Scottish accent became more pronounced as he added, “I’m not sure I like that.” He shook his head, revealing the serpent tattoo sideburn on the right side of his face.*

“They wouldn’t be a dictator,” the Chief said. She looked at the Boss. “They would listen to _everyone_ , and allow all options to be considered. No voice goes unheard.”

“I think you would be the one for the job, Sister,” the Boss said, smiling.

“Actually, I was thinking of you.”

The Boss blinked. “Me?”

Chief smiled. “You and B have been on top of this from the start—you brought us all together. That’s the sign of someone who can lead in my book.”

There were nods all around; no one could argue that point. The Boss had to admit that she couldn’t argue either.

“Well, if you think I can…”

“I _know_ you can,” Chief said, giving her a reassuring look.

Folding her hands in front of her on her desk, the newly appointed leader said, “Very well.” She looked down at her hands, then raised her head. “First order of business then: checking on the state of B’s world. Any ideas?”

* * *

_**nameless dimension** _

_...time to get going._

_...don’t tell._

_...hide your tracks._

_...be inconspicuous._

* * *

_**Montana** _

Loki stared at the sight before him. Gabriel’s wings spread high above the archangel’s head and to either side of his body, the multiple hues of golden feathers glowing beneath the moonlight. Gabriel had been unable to call them forth since his change and had given up hope that he’d ever be able to do so again.

Now, here they were, in all their magnificent glory, and his angel was overwhelmed.

“Loki… m-my…”

“They’re back, Angel,” Loki smiled. “Oh, they’re back…”

Gabriel looked at his right wing and tentatively drew it towards himself, then stretched it back out, sending a gentle draft of wind through the branches of the trees behind him. “I never thought I’d be able to do that again,” he whispered. He turned his head to Loki and the trickster saw that his eyes were damp. “They’re really back, aren’t they?”

“Yes, Gabriel,” Loki nodded. “They are.”

Gabriel embraced him and buried his head into the trickster’s neck. “I felt that my grace was being stored somewhere, just didn’t know where. It was my wings.” He held his head up and raised his eyes to the sky. “I just needed a full moon to help bring them out.”

Loki wrapped his arms around Gabriel and gently touched his wings. Gabriel’s breath caught, and he shuddered. “Loki, you know better,” he sighed.

“I just wanted to feel them, Angel. I’ve missed them too,” he said softly into Gabriel’s ear. He kissed his hair and lowered his hands.

Gabriel pulled away and took a deep, calming breath. He looked behind the trickster god and his expression turned to one of concern.

Loki’s eyes widened as he remembered. Kit! He quickly turned around.

She was still in Rich’s arms, but didn’t look as frightened. However, she still appeared to be troubled.

“I need to go see if she’s OK,” Loki said. “But…” He turned his face away to look at the damage he had caused.

Gabriel laid a hand on his shoulder. “It’s OK, Sugar. Just go talk to her.”

“She’s terrified of me, Gabriel.”

“Loki…” Gabriel phased his wings away and moved around Loki so that he could face him. “She trusts you. She knows that you won’t hurt her. If she was truly afraid of you she wouldn’t be anywhere near you right now.”

Loki gazed into his angel’s eyes and saw the truth in them. “I’m not what I was made to be, Gabriel. I promise that I’m not,” he said in a voice full of anguish.

Gabriel took his face between his hands and kissed him. “I know you’re not, my love. Rich and I know that you just want to keep us safe in your own way, and it’s one of the reasons that we love you.”

Loki closed his eyes and nodded. “Thank you, Angel.”

* * *

“Come on,” Gabriel said, and they shifted to appear in front of Kit and Rich. The humans turned to them in surprise.

“Haven’t seen that in a while,” Rich said, a smile spreading across his face.

Kit just looked at Loki, not liking how despondent he looked. “Loki?” she asked.

Her eyes widened when the trickster fell to his knees before her and grabbed her hands. “I’m sorry for scaring you, Kit.” He bowed his head and brought her hands to his brow. “I’m so sorry…”

Rich and Gabriel looked at each other in astonishment. Neither had seen Loki behave this way before, nor had they seen him apologize so suddenly. It was as if he were a different person.

Kit felt him start to tremble, and she pulled her hands away. Loki raised his head, looking stricken, but she quickly enveloped him in her arms and laid his head against her shoulder.

“It’s OK, Loki, it’s OK,” she said softly, stroking the back of his head. “I’m alright.”

Loki took a ragged breath, then leaned back from her. “But I was wrong to doubt you. I made you miserable. All this time—”

“I forgive you.”

Loki stared at her. “Why?”

“Because you care, Loki.” She looked over at Rich, who smiled softly, then back to the trickster in front of her. “You care.”

He looked down at his still trembling hands. “I…” He grew silent.

“Loki?”

He raised his head and Kit gazed at him in concern. “Are you alright?” she asked.

“I’m fine,” he said, averting his eyes. He then looked back, searching her face and arms. “Are _you_ alright?” he asked.

Knowing that he was referring to the incident in the bathroom, she swallowed before nodding. “I think so. I’m… I think…” She shook her head. “I really don’t want to think about it…” She looked away.

Gabriel kneeled next to them all and touched her arm. “Kit, ignoring it won’t make it all go away, sweetheart.”

“I know!” Kit nearly shouted. She quickly covered her mouth at the hurt look that appeared on Gabriel’s face. “I’m sorry.”

“No,” Gabriel said, shaking his head. “No, it’s OK. It’s been a rough night. Maybe we should all get some rest, huh?”

Kit shook her frantically. “I don’t want to go to sleep!” Her eyes opened wide in panic. “What if she’s there? What if she tries to—” She cut off as she started to gasp uncontrollably.

“Kit!” Rich cried out from his place behind her, pressing his chest against her back. “Come on, hon. You gotta breathe or you’ll pass out!”

“She’ll…. bring… him… here… He’ll… hurt… me…”

Loki grasped the sides of her face and forced her to look at him. “Kit! He won't hurt you anymore. We'll keep you safe.”

She grasped the sides of her head and dug her fingers into her scalp. “You don't… know where... he is... She's…” Kit froze and stared at Loki in horror.

“Kit?” He turned her head from side to side in his hands. “Kit!”

She took a hard, deep breath. “She could lead him here,” she whispered.

“Who is ‘she,’ Kit?” Gabriel said.

Kit shuddered. “Natharia.” Her eyes widened. “He’ll come here! Hurt you! I need to get out of here!”

“Stop it!” Loki said as Kit dropped her hands from her head and struggled to sit up. He and Rich used gentle force to keep her seated.

“NO!”

“Kitty, please, just listen…” Rich pleaded.

“He’ll kill you!”

“We’ll take you with us,” Gabriel announced.

Everyone stilled at the archangel’s words.

“What?” Loki said, keeping a hand on Kit’s shoulder.

“We’ll take her with us to see the Guardian. Maybe she can help Kit with what’s going on.”

“I can really go? She can help me?” Kit asked hopefully, relaxing slightly in Rich and Loki’s hold.

“ _Can_ she go?” Rich asked worriedly.

“You did.”

Rich swallowed hard. “But—”

“Rich, it should be fine. Remember?” Gabriel patted his own chest softly and smiled.

Kit shook her head. “I’m not following. What are you talking about?”

“This will be easier if I could talk to you face-to-face,” Rich said.

She grew quiet, then looked at Loki. “I won’t try to leave.” She turned her head to speak to Rich over her shoulder. “I promise.”

They both released her, then all four arranged themselves so that they sat in a small circle, though Loki kept a close eye on her.

Rich looked at her warily, then let out a long breath. “Kit, when I asked you about...feeling something the other night…” He trailed off and looked at Gabriel, not knowing how to continue.

Gabriel turned to Kit. “He means after I healed you. That night, did you feel anything different? A good different?”

Kit looked back and forth between them. “Um, I felt better. Is that what you mean?”

Gabriel tapped his chin lightly with his finger. “Let me see if I can put it better: Did you feel like you were in a dream? Like it came over you, then went away after a short time?” He placed his hand over the middle of his chest and spread his fingers wide. “Did it center, right here?”

“I... well…” Kit felt her face turn bright red, but she hoped that it was dark enough that it wasn’t too obvious. “Yes, but it's happened before so I didn't think anything of it really.”

Loki darted his eyes quickly at his lovers before looking at Kit. “Before?” he asked.

“Uh, yeah, but I thought it was just because I was trying to escape in my head when I was feeling miserable, or-or…” She trailed off, her mind not wanting her to recall what had caused it the first time. “It's never happened here until a few days ago,” she continued quickly, not missing the trickster’s glances.

Gabriel leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees. “Kit, think really hard: when did it happen the first time?”

She closed her eyes, unwillingly going over the memories Gabriel had helped her retrieve just a scant hour before. Being choked by Cormac shot through her mind, making her wince in remembered pain and fear; however, she quickly smiled as she recalled how it was all stopped by feelings of absolute bliss. “Shortly before Rich told me he wanted to move from California. Why?” she asked, opening her eyes.

Rich raised his hands to cover his heart. “That’s good, Kitty,” he said. “That’s so very good.”

“But why?” she asked again. “Why is it good, Rich?”

He looked over at Gabriel and Loki. “We all definitely need to have a chat with the Guardian, ASAP.”

* * *

**_The Summit_ **

“So it’s decided then? And everyone is in agreement?” the Boss asked.

There were nods of affirmations all around from her siblings. Many decisions had been made—and quickly—since she had been chosen to lead, and much had been done since. She was glad that she had spoken up, and glad that she had been up to the task.

She bade good day to her brothers and sisters, then turned to the human and angel who had been patiently waiting on her.

“I’m sorry about that. When they all show up, I have to attend to business right away.”

“It’s OK, Boss. I know how demanding they can be,” Gabe said. He had an arm wrapped around the waist of the human at his side. “We’re patient, right Babe?”

Richard nodded. “Yeppers. We’ve learned to take things as they come.”

The Boss smiled. They both looked rested and relaxed. Their time in the Ether had done wonders for them, especially Richard. His Hate mark, though still on his body, was smaller than it had been originally, and lighter. It had done the same for Gabe’s mark as well.

“So, why’d you call us out, Guardian? Is there news?” Richard asked.

“There are a few things, but I’d like to ask you some questions first, Richard.”

“Alright,” Richard said. “Shoot.”

“I hate to bring up bad memories, but since you’re the last character that I know of who was there…”

“There?” Richard asked, raising an eyebrow. “There where?”

“B told me, only because he wanted me to be aware of every aspect of the characters that he oversaw,” she said as way of explanation.

“OK, but you still haven’t told me what you meant…”

“Quite right,” she said. She looked at him directly and asked, “The last time you were at the Edge, did you see any green mist, vapors, within the vortex?”

Richard blanched. “Uh…” He looked over at Gabe, who tightened his hold on the human’s waist. “Well, not that I recall,” he replied, turning back to the Boss. “Why? Is that part of what’s causing all this mess?”

She sighed. “B thinks so, and the rest of us think it as well.”

“My Guardian? Is he still there?” Richard asked, stepping forward. “I thought he’d be back by now!”

The Boss took a deep breath, and Gabe’s face fell. “Boss…?”

She raised a hand. “He’s back, Richard, but—”

“No…” Richard breathed. “Don’t say it…”

“Richard,” Gabe said, reaching out with his other arm so he could turn him towards him.

“He's alive, Richard,” the Boss said quickly.

Richard whipped around and stared at her. “W-What?”

“He risked his life to get back to us so we would know about what was going on. He was very weak, and now he’s in a deep sleep until his powers are regenerated.”

“That idiot!” Richard said. He brought his hands up to cover his face. “I hate him! Why does he do these things?!”

“Richard! How can you—” Gabe started, then cut off when Richard lowered his hands to reveal that he was weeping heavily. “Sweetheart…”

“I want to see him,” Richard said, not bothering to wipe his tears away.

“Just for a short moment. I don’t want to risk waking him,” the Boss said.

“OK. Come on Gabe,” Richard said, following the Guardian out onto the pathway.

“Right behind you,” Gabe said.

* * *

_**Montana** _

“She’s resting,” Rich said, walking into the living room. He stopped and stood behind the couch to rub his temples. “Took me forever to convince her to. She’s still a bit rattled.”

Loki was standing near the fireplace. “I know how she feels,” he said. He’d had to stop himself from pacing back and forth more than once. Now that he was calmer, he was processing everything with a clearer mind.

“So when do we leave?” Gabriel asked, turning to look at Rich from his seat on the couch. “The Moon is in the right place, and I can feel that the portal is still functioning.”

Rich looked down the hallway. “I think maybe we should rest for a short while.” He looked back at Gabriel and Loki. “It’s not exactly an easy trip.”

“A few hours, then,” Loki said, nodding. He went to the front door and stopped when Gabriel called his name.

“Where are you going?”

Loki turned halfway to him. “Keeping watch.”

“You should rest too, Loki,” Rich said, moving towards him.

“We need to have someone looking out for the bastard who hurt our Kit,” Loki said, his eyes flashing. He then opened the door and shut it behind him as he went outside.

Rich and Gabriel looked at each other.

“ _Our_ Kit?” Gabriel said.

Rich smiled. “He’s not wrong.”

* * *

Kit laid on her bed looking out the window of her room. The rays of moonlight filtered through the blinds, and she couldn’t help but recall how beautiful Gabriel’s wings looked beneath them.

She recalled the conversation she had with Rich. They cared for her? She knew that Rich did, since they’d been friends for so long. She cared for him, of course, more than he knew. And after everything that Gabriel had done for her, and now Loki, they meant so much to her. Maybe they also cared for her, too.

Was that why Gabriel was silent when she…?

And why she had done it in the first place?

She turned her head into her pillow. She wasn’t sure how to describe it! She had only been here for such a short time! Had only known Gabriel and Loki for a short time! These sorts of things didn’t happen so quickly! Only in movies! It wasn’t possible!

She flopped onto her back. _But it happened for Rich,_ her mind told her. _Why couldn’t it happen for you?_

_But Rich is special; they’re all a part of each other!_ she retorted.

_Who says you aren’t special?_

“Me,” she whispered. She ignored the tear that trailed down her face. The pain in her chest at the thought of being alone forever, away from the ones she had come to care about, nearly drowned her.

And the tears flowed.

* * *

“You sure you don’t want to rest a little more, Kit?” Rich asked as they all gathered around Gabriel in the backyard. The woman looked a bit pale, and Rich wondered if she had even slept any.

“I’m fine, Rich. I’m just a bit apprehensive is all,” she said, not looking at him.

Rich didn’t believe her, but he knew that it was useless to argue with her. “Promise me that if you feel unwell, you’ll let us know?” he asked, placing his hand on her back.

She turned at the concerned touch. “I promise,” she said, and Rich saw that she meant it and smiled.

“I’m glad.”

“I’m ready when you guys are,” Gabriel said, shaking his wings and stretching them out. “I’m all powered up here.”

“So I just have to count my breaths?” Kit asked nervously.

Loki reached out and took her hand. “You don’t have to. Either way, you’ll get there as long as you hold on,” he assured her.

She looked down at their hands, then back up to him. “O-OK,” she answered.

“It’s a little overwhelming, but it’s actually an amazing experience,” Rich said. He was excited to travel by angel flight again and back to the Moon once more. He loved seeing the stars so close!

“Well, grab on and let’s get this party started then,” Gabriel said. He went to stand between Kit and Rich and took their hands. “On my count…”

* * *

_**Moon** _

Kit looked about in wonder. “Holy shit!”

“Told ya,” Rich said, staring up at the stars.

Gabriel and Loki watched them. “Aren’t they precious?” Gabriel said, leaning against Loki’s shoulder as Kit twirled around slowly to study the landscape while Rich continued to gaze at the stars like he’d never seen them before.

Loki folded his arms. “Hmm.”

Gabriel had managed to land them all not too far from the portal this time, feeling more confident in his ability to travel across space with passengers. He could sense it just a mile or so behind them.

“OK, kiddies, playtime is over. Time to go,” Gabriel said, clapping his hands to get their attention.

Rich looked at him with an abashed grin while Kit’s face fell. “Is this where I have to walk into the cold pond thingie?” she asked.

“It’s not too bad,” Rich said, taking her hand and leading her towards the archangel and trickster god.

Kit looked at her hand being held. “OK…” she said.

* * *

Like last time, they leaped along the Moon’s surface to the portal, and Kit felt her apprehension abate a little at how fun it was. She briefly wondered if they could come back to just do this, then stopped; she knew that this was probably a once-in-a-lifetime thing for her. Of course it would never happen again.

She was feeling her anxiety acutely when they came to stand at the edge of the portal. She didn’t smell honeysuckle like Rich had mentioned; she smelled cinnamon.

“Remember, don’t fight it,” Loki reminded her. “And we’ll be with you the entire time.” He looked into her face and caught her eyes. “You won’t be alone.”

Kit felt her breath catch at his words. Was he aware of how she was feeling deep inside? “I understand,” she said.

He gave her a small smile. “Then let’s go.”

They all waded in, and she followed their actions. She grit her teeth at the ice-cold liquid, then fought against the impulse to move as it covered her entire body, trusting what she’d been told.

When she opened her eyes and discovered herself in the vast sea of the strange stuff, she flailed her arms and legs in fear. She needed to get out!

Hands grasped her arms gently, turned her, and pulled them against a warm body. She felt arms encircle her and hold her tightly.

_It’s OK…_ she heard in her mind.

She stilled. It sounded like Gabriel.

_Yes, it’s me, Kit-Kat._

_H-How?_

_Breathe, Kit. You can breathe here, remember?_

Her brain caught up with her, and she took a tentative breath, then another. Her racing heart slowed. _Gabriel…_

He pulled back and looked at her. _See? It’s alright. You’re OK._

She looked at him then turned her gaze from side to side. _It’s so…so…_

He smiled. _I know._

She looked over his shoulder and saw Rich in Loki’s arms. _Rich?_

Gabriel closed his eyes. _He panicked a little too. He wasn’t as prepared as he thought he was._ He rubbed her shoulders when her eyes rounded in worry. _He’s OK. Loki’s got him._

She shook her head. _How are you doing this?_ She touched the side of her head.

_I’m not sure, to be honest. I’m usually only able to with Loki,_ he explained.

They both turned when the aforementioned trickster god “swam” towards them with Rich. Gabriel touched the human man’s arm. _Are you OK?_

Rich blinked. _So you guys can do it too?_

Gabriel nodded. _Looks like it._ He caught Loki’s eyes, then cocked his head towards Rich and raised an eyebrow.

Loki tilted his head forward, a silent affirmation that Rich was fine. _We should be porting soon._

They all huddled together, Loki and Gabriel pushing the humans between them. _Hold on,_ Gabriel said suddenly.

A sudden pulse was felt by them all, and they disappeared.

* * *

_**The Summit** _

They found themselves standing in the middle of the Boss’ office. Rich and Kit, still shaken from being in the portal, nearly fell to their knees. Loki caught Rich under the arms while Gabriel wrapped both his around Kit’s waist.

“Whoa, easy there,” the archangel said. He cast a quick glance at Loki, who steadied Rich on his feet and gripped his shoulder. “You guys are alright. We’re here, OK?”

Kit leaned back against him. “I didn’t like that,” she gasped. She looked about the stone room. “What is this place?”

“We’re in the Guardian’s chambers,” Loki said, keeping a hand on Rich’s arm as the human got his bearings. He turned his head and frowned as he noticed that the room was empty. “I’m assuming that she is in another room.”

“I guess we’ll wait for her then,” Gabriel said.

“No need.”

They all turned at the sound of the Boss’ voice as she entered the room. They were surprised at the serious look she gave them. “Before you say or do anything, let me check you,” she said, marching up to them.

“Check us?” Loki demanded, freezing when she touched him and Rich with her hands. She murmured a few words under her breath, then swiftly moved and did the same to Gabriel and Kit.

Her eyes snapped open as soon as her hand made contact with the human woman. “You’re not a character,” she said.

Kit drew herself away from the Guardian. “No, I’m…well…” She looked at everyone around her. “I guess I’m real?” She sent a questioning look at Rich.

“It’s OK, Kitty. It _is_ kinda confusing for you, isn’t it?” Rich said softly. He faced the Boss. “She’s my friend, and yes, she’s a human.”

“How did you all get here?”

“That’s part of the reason that she’s here. What’s going on, and why did you do that?” he asked.

She looked between the four of them, considering his words, then sighed. “You guys might want to sit down,” she said. She flicked her wrist and chairs formed from the ground behind them. Kit stared for a moment, then took a seat.

They all listened as the Guardian explained about the Odium, and before too long it became blatantly clear why they couldn’t summon the Fourth Wall. Loki buried his face in his hands, and Rich laid his hand on the trickster god’s back to comfort him.

“You didn’t know,” he whispered. “It’s OK.”

Loki only nodded. He couldn’t speak.

“How did you get here?” the Boss asked when she finished.

It was then their turn to explain about the Moon portal, which then led to Kit. The Boss listened with rapt attention until they were done.

She frowned. “Cormac… Cormac…” She looked to the side. “I know that name…”

She stood and walked to her desk and made complex and intricate movements with her hands while saying words in her native language. A small aperture appeared before her, and the face of another Guardian appeared. She looked like an older woman, and her expression turned serious as she and the Boss spoke quietly for a few moments.

The group of four just watched, saying nothing as the two beings conversed, wondering what was being discussed.

The Boss closed the portal, then returned to them. “Cormac is the name of one of our very youngest brothers. He was given a novel to watch over, but apparently he lost it because the author abandoned his work. No one has heard from him since it happened.”

“Looks like we know what he’s been up to then,” Loki said angrily, breaking his silence.

“It also explains what I felt,” the Boss said, facing Kit.

“You mean… Natharia,” Kit said, feeling a chill run down her back. She was grateful when Gabriel took her hand.

“Would you like me to examine you more closely?”

Kit’s lower lip started to tremble. “Do you think you could help me?”

“I would certainly like to try,” the Guardian said, her brown eyes gazing at her kindly.

“Please,” Kit said.

The Boss came forward and wrapped her palms around Kit’s still mostly smooth head. She closed her eyes, and Kit gasped, closing her eyes as she felt something flow through the being’s hands into her skin.

The Guardian’s hands glowed and pulsed gently as she concentrated. Kit’s eyes shifted back and forth under her lids. The Boss’ expression looked surprised for a moment, then turned grim. The two continued this way for a long while, and the worry from the others in the room almost became palpable.

Finally, the Boss pulled her hands away, and Kit slumped backwards in her chair. Gabriel and Rich reached forward to support her, and she opened her eyes.

“Are you alright, Kitty?” Rich asked, helping her to sit up.

“I’m OK. That was just different is all,” she said. She looked up at the Boss. “Am I better now?”

The Guardian looked at her sadly. “I’m afraid that whatever it is has a layer of tainted Ether surrounding it. I don’t have the means to remove it.”

“Wait, isn’t that the same stuff that’s infected the Edge?” Gabriel asked, moving his chair closer to Kit’s. “What’s it doing in Kit’s mind?”

The Boss looked directly at Kit. “You said that my brother was covered in dark scars and ash?”

Kit shuddered and nodded. “It was like they were burned into his skin, and he’d been rolling around in the stuff.” She covered her mouth to keep herself from retching. “And…And he _smelled._ He smelled like he was _rotten._ ”

“They must be Hate marks. But for a _Guardian_ to have them?” She looked bewildered. “What has he _done?_ ”

“And who is this ‘Natharia?’” Loki said. “Is she one of you?”

The Boss shook her head. “My sister and I have never heard of one of our kind calling themselves by that name. She must be someone connected to Cormac, maybe a character he’s corrupted. Maybe—” She stopped as her eyes widened. “One moment,” she said and dashed from the room.

* * *

Kit looked at the others in fright. “What does she mean ‘Hate mark?’ I don’t understand. I don’t—”

“I know this is a lot to take in, Kitty,” Rich said, turning her to face him. “I was in your place not too long ago. But she’ll explain, and we’ll be here with you through it.” He was just as bewildered as she was, but he knew from past experience that she needed someone to help keep her grounded if she started to freak out.

They all looked as the door opened and the Boss returned with two others behind her.

Kit’s mouth dropped open. “ _Two_ more of you?” she said, looking at Rich.

Rich smiled. “Heh, yeah. I seem to be popular in this place.” He squeezed her arm gently then stood to walk towards the newcomers.

“Hello, Gabe,” he said, hugging the angel. “It’s been a while.”

Gabe pulled back and smirked. “A tad longer for me, actually, but it’s good to see you.” He turned to the man at his side. “You’re familiar with this guy here, of course.”

Rich and Richard regarded each other. It was a little unnerving. They were _very_ similar, other than Rich’s facial hair and glasses. “Hello other me,” Richard finally said, holding out his hand.

Rich huffed out a laugh and took it. “Nice to meet me,” he joked lightly.

Richard smirked, then waved over Rich’s shoulder. “Those must be your guys and gal, I take it?”

“Oh, uh…” Rich looked over his shoulder and saw Gabriel and Loki looking at each other. They glanced at Kit before turning their eyes towards him. Kit had her head bowed and was biting her lip awkwardly. Instead of confirming Richard’s words, he stepped to the side and gestured to each in turn, saying their names. Gabriel waved, Loki nodded tersely, and Kit nodded hesitantly.

“Nice to meet ya,” Richard said.

“Likewise,” Gabe added.

Introductions done, the Boss spoke up. “I wanted to talk about the corrupted characters you saw, Richard.”

Richard’s smile fell from his face. “Ah,” was all he said.

“Wait a sec, I’m lost,” Gabriel said.

“While they were going from world to world informing Guardians about what was occurring, they ran into characters with Hate marks on their bodies,” the Boss explained.

“Like what Cormac had?” Kit said, raising her head. Rich could see that she was fighting to keep her composure. “How do you get those things?”

Gabe and Richard shared an anxious look. “It’s not pleasant,” Gabe said, lowering his eyes.

Rich tilted his head. “Gabe?” he asked in confusion.

“Gabe, it’s alright if you don’t—” the Boss started.

“No, I’ve grown stronger since then,” Gabe said and took Richard’s hand in his own. Richard held it tight in encouragement. The angel raised his head and faced everyone in the room as he continued. “It’s from being near the Edge, where… Does she know about that place?”

“She does,” the Guardian said.

Gabe closed his eyes. “Well, sometimes we, us characters, go there to, well, erase ourselves I guess you can say.”

Kit covered her mouth. “Oh, oh… You don’t…You don’t have to keep talking about this if it’s—”

“It’s OK, it really is,” Gabe said, moving closer to Richard. “I have him to lean on now.”

“And I have him too,” Richard said, leaning against the angel.

Rich glimpsed out of the corner of his eye Kit hooking her elbow with Gabriel’s, who laid his hand on her arm. She was shaking, and the archangel turned towards her slightly to murmur a few words to her when he saw that she was fighting back tears. Rich wanted to go to them, but Gabe was still continuing his narrative.

Gabe explained about how Hate “marks” a character who goes to the Edge and survives, and how rare it was _for_ a character to survive. Richard then took up the story, told how the marks and Odium could make a person slowly change, become lost within their inner darkness, to be filled with white-hot rage. He turned his collar aside to show them the pale scar on his collar bone. He laid a hand upon Gabe’s chest to indicate where his lover’s scar was located.

“I’m guessing that the other worlds you went to had corrupted characters with these marks,” Loki said when Richard stopped speaking.

“Not exactly,” Gabe answered.

He received perplexed looks.

“They were all people I know. People _you_ know, Rich,” he said, looking at the human.

Rich’s face went blank. “ _What?_ ”

“This all started with the world you helped create. My world. My home. Rich, it’s nearly overrun with Odium,” Richard said.

“As long as B is alive, and you remember it, we know that at least the Guardian’s chambers are intact,” the Boss said.

Rich felt like throwing up. His world, his creation that he made with one of his best friends, was about to be destroyed by an insane maniac? No! He wouldn’t let it!

“How do we stop it?” he said, his voice as hard as steel.

“Stop it?!” Everyone turned at the sound of Kit’s distressed voice. “How can we go up against that?!”

“Kit, sweetheart,” Gabriel said, moving his hands to hold her arms. “We just need to think—”

“No! This is hopeless! Did you not hear everything that was said?! How can we possibly do anything?! I-I shouldn’t even be _part_ of this! I’m just a human! I didn’t ask for this!”

The Boss walked forward and knelt before her. “Kit, hon, listen,” she said softly.

The gentle, kind tone of the Guardian’s voice caught the human woman’s attention and she looked down at her. Her eyes were wet with tears of panic. “I’m…”

“May I hold your hands?” asked the Boss, offering her own to Kit.

Kit took a deep breath and nodded shakily as Gabriel released her so she could do as the Guardian requested. Once they touched, the Boss said, “Earlier, when I searched your mind, I sensed something very important.” She motioned for Rich to join them and waited for him to sit beside Kit. “When you were here last, I felt a change within your soul,” she said to him.

Loki sat up straighter in his chair. “Before we returned to Earth, you mean? When we were worried about what happened at the Bunker?”

She nodded. “I couldn’t tell you, because it wasn’t my place to.”

Gabe sighed. “You Guardians and your cryptic ways. Always making things so difficult and inconvenient.”

Loki glowered. “ _Extremely._ ”

“I’m working on improving that, I assure you,” she said, giving the trickster god an apologetic look. Loki’s expression didn’t change. “This whole situation is proof that changes are way past due.”

“We’ve been suspicious about the soul thing,” Rich said when everyone went quiet. “I’ve felt it when we…did what brought attention to all this in the first place.” He looked at Kit sitting beside him. “So, if you sensed something…” His eyes widened. “Holy shit.”

“What?” Gabriel and Kit said in unison.

“It’s you. It’s really you!” Rich said, gazing at Kit in wonder.

The Boss smiled at Rich’s realization. “She is. Whatever happened must’ve made your souls sync up, and made you aware of each other.”

“What? What am I?” Kit interjected worriedly.

“You’ve been here,” Rich said, touching his heart. “All this time…”

Gabriel looked between Rich and Loki and smiled widely. “Amazing!”

Loki was looking at Kit. “You need to breathe, Kit.”

All eyes turned to the human woman. Her mouth was open in shock. “I… No… What are…”

The Boss squeezed her hands to try to ground her. “Kit, you _are_ a part of this. You were _meant_ to be a part of this. I felt a piece of you in each of them, and a piece of them in you.”

Kit snatched her hands away. “Are you talking about us all being _soulmates?!_ ” she cried.

“Not quite soulmates, but carrying a part of each other’s souls, yes,” the Boss said.

“There’s no such thing!”

“Like there’s no such thing as us being real?” Gabriel said, the hurt in his eyes betraying the calmness in his voice.

Kit turned to him. “That’s not what I meant!” she said.

“Then what _did_ you mean, Kit?” Rich said from her other side.

“I meant… well…” She stood abruptly to her feet and pushed by the Guardian, nearly knocking her over. She started to pace back and forth with her hands on her hips. “You told me all about this, and showed me that it was real right away. I had no reason not to believe you because I trust you. No reason ever not to.”

* * *

Gabe and Richard exchanged a look with the Boss, then quietly slipped from the room. No one but the Guardian noticed their exit as Rich spoke calmly to Kit.

“And now you do? Kit, please, I know that you’re scared and confused. I know that this is A LOT to take in—”

She turned to look straight at him. “A lot to take in? _A lot to take in?!_ Rich, with my memories lost I thought that my life was normal until about a month ago when you turned it up on its end with introducing me to”—she swept her arm about the room—“this.” She placed her hands on her head. “Then a few hours ago, with those memories returned, I learned that I was being manipulated into doing things against my will to those who mattered most to me, and that I have some parts of an evil psychopath in my _mind?_ ” She dropped her hands and looked helplessly at Rich once more. “And now you tell me that we’ve been a part of each other during all this?!”

“Tell us what the _real_ reason is.”

She shot her eyes over at Loki. “What?”

He held her gaze. “You’re saying more than you think you are.”

She stared at him. What was he talking about?

“I saw your face when you mentioned being manipulated, and we all saw what happened in your memories,” Loki clarified.

Kit turned away to hide her face. “No, I’m not having this conversation.”

But Loki’s keen eyes missed nothing. “Ignoring it won’t make it go away, Kit.”

“Kit-Kat, what is it?” Gabriel asked. He stood, stretching out a hand. “Please, don’t be afraid to tell us. We’re here for you.”

“I’m sorry. I just want to keep saying ‘sorry’...”

Rich sighed. “Kit, we know it wasn’t your fault that you were abducted, Darlin’.”

“But I spied on you! I-I told him things!” She looked behind her and saw that Gabe and Richard were gone. “See?” she said, looking back to Rich. “They know that I’m part of the reason that everything’s gone to shit.”

“Stop it, Kit,” Loki said, moving from his chair and striding towards her. She took several steps back to try to keep some space between them, but he kept walking until he stood in front of her.

“It is _not_ your fault,” he said in a firm, even tone. “That… _monster_ is the cause of everything.” He reached out and took her hands. “He is the reason for hurting you, and he’s the reason for making you feel guilty for something you didn’t do.”

“But I _did_ do it, Loki,” she whispered.

“Do you see us blaming you?”

She shook her head. “No,” she admitted wearily.

“Then stop doing this to yourself.”

She looked into his eyes. Eyes she had seen for the first time four years ago. Eyes that she had thought about when she was being tormented.

She looked over Loki’s shoulder and saw the same eyes gazing at her from Rich and Gabriel. These three sets of eyes, though they looked the same, were each unique in their own special way.

And they all were focused on her.

Just her.

What did that mean?

“Kit?”

She looked back at Loki.

“You’re not to blame,” he said.

A broken sob escaped her, and Loki pulled her into his arms. She heard footsteps then felt two more pairs of arms wrap tightly about her and Loki.

She cried even harder. Gabriel and Rich, holding her along with Loki. Comforting her as she broke down. She didn’t know how to handle it. She’d never been embraced this way before.

All four gasped as a strong wave of warm peacefulness overwhelmed them, and she felt the loneliness that she had been living with for so long melt away.

“It’ll be OK, Kitty,” Rich whispered.

“We’ll always be here with you,” Gabriel said.

“Forgive yourself,” Loki said against her ear.

“Just don’t leave me,” she answered, leaning heavily against him as she was hit with a wave of fatigue.

She whimpered as the three pairs of arms unwound from her, then sighed when she was lifted into one of them. “Come on,” she heard Loki’s voice say. “You’re exhausted.”

* * *

The Boss told Loki that he could let Kit rest in the same room he and Gabriel had used. He left without a word of thanks, signifying that he was still upset with the Guardian. Gabe and Richard slipped in after him, the angel raising an eyebrow in question.

Rich and Gabriel gave them a small nod. The couple then stood by the door in silent support as Rich said, “We need to find a way to get that…that _thing…_ out of her mind.”

“How did it even get there? Is it still a danger to her?” Gabriel asked the Boss, running a hand through his hair. “Can it hurt her?”

“Without knowing what exactly happened to Cormac, I can’t say. As to her being in danger, even though you managed to unlock her memories, I did notice that the presence is still contained behind a barrier. I believe it has to do with your connection to one another. However,” she said, looking between them pointedly. “It’s not as strong as the one that was there before. She needs to be near at least one of you for it to stay stable. Otherwise, it may crumble.”

“We don’t plan to ever let that happen. She belongs with us now,” Gabriel said firmly.

“How did we not know, Boss? I’ve known her almost as long as this all started with Gabriel,” Rich asked, his eyes filled with pain. “We could’ve all been together. She would’ve been with us, and not have had to suffer.”

“You know how Love is, Rich, and I’m guessing that Kit’s lonely heart sought out yours.” Gabriel sidled closer to Rich. “With Gabriel there, Love and the Cosmos must’ve decided that you were meant to be. You know the rest.”

“If only we hadn’t come here,” Rich said, running a hand down his face. “We saw her memories. She went through so much for years!”

“Hey, Rich,” Gabe said. “If you hadn’t come here, I wouldn’t have this guy,” he said, pulling Richard by the waist to his side. “Don’t discount the plans of the Cosmos, yeah?”

Rich’s eyes softened at the happiness and love that shined in the eyes of the characters in front of him. “I admit, I will never regret the fact that I helped you two find each other. And I apologize if I sound like I do. It’s just hard to wrap my mind around everything right now.”

“It’s fine, Rich,” Richard said. He looked at Gabe, and a look known only to them was exchanged. “We know the feeling all too well.”

“So I guess once Kit is feeling better, we go back, wait the next week or so, and find Dean,” Gabriel said.

Rich nodded, then his eyes lit up as a thought seemed to occur to him. “Hey, since we’re here, why don’t we go ask if Sam and Cas want to help too?”

“The more help we have the better in finding that bastard. I’m all for it,” Gabriel said.

“They’re not here,” the Boss said.

Gabriel and Rich looked at her in surprise. “What? Where are they?” Gabriel asked.

“They left shortly after you all did. They were worried about how you left so early, and Cas could tell that something was worrying you, Gabriel.”

Gabriel huffed out a laugh. “Sounds like my baby bro.”

“We haven’t seen them though,” Rich said. “Where could they be?”

“They probably went where their performers are,” Gabe surmised. “At least, that’s where we all usually go. It’s easier to lock in on a location that way.”

“So they’re probably either in Texas or Washington,” Rich said.

“Texas probably, I’m guessing. You know those two went to meet up with Dean,” Gabriel said.

“Well, I guess that works out then. Robbie will be coming to visit soon.”

“Wait a sec,” Gabriel said. “Who’s watching those troublemaking ‘kids’ of theirs?”

“From what I’ve been observing, Jody and Donna,” the Guardian said, smiling humorously.

Rich whistled. “Bet they’re liking _that._ ”

“I will be here for any advice that you may need,” the Boss said. “I do not sense any of the Odium within the lunar portal. It seems that it’s an anomaly that is out of its reach.”

“So we just need to make sure that it stays secret then,” Gabriel said. “It’s up in space, and has a direct connection to me. You think I’d notice if he found it?”

“Perhaps. Just keep yourself aware for now.”

“I guess we should wait for Kit to rest up, then head back to find the boys,” Rich said after a beat. He went and held his hand out to Richard. “It was great meeting you. You were fun to create.”

“I’m fun to be,” Richard said, shaking Rich’s hand and smiling. “And thanks, Rich. He changed my life, and saved me,” Richard said, looking at Gabe fondly.

“Yeah,” Gabe said, clasping Rich’s shoulder. “We’re forever in your debt. You have a heart of gold, my friend.”

Rich’s eyes stung as he reached out and hugged the angel. “The debt is mine, and you know that.”

“Stop it before you make me cry,” Gabe said, patting him on the back and releasing him.

“Alright, alright, enough with the dramatics,” Gabriel said, walking over. “You guys are acting like we’ll never see each other again.” He smacked Gabe on the back. “Other me, we’ll see you later, OK?” He tapped Richard lightly on the shoulder. “Other Rich, same goes for you.”

Richard and Gabe laughed lightly and nodded.

“Likewise,” Gabe said.

“Rich,” the Boss called out as he and Gabriel went towards the door. “Tell Kit that I am deeply sorry for what has happened. And tell Loki that we are not going down without a fight.”

“I will, Boss,” Rich said. “I think they just need some time to deal with everything.”

She smiled. “I’ll be in here if you need me.”

* * *

After exiting the Boss’ chambers, Gabriel’s face became thoughtful as they walked side-by-side down the familiar pathway.

“Ya know…”

“Hmm?”

“That thing about ‘time’ and all.”

“Yes?”

“Remember how it flows differently here than it does on Earth?”

Rich stopped walking and faced him. “Are you insinuating something?”

“Well, Rob isn’t supposed to show up for what? Ten more days? That’s about a month and a half here.”

“Gabriel,” Rich said, shaking his head. “We can’t stay here like it’s a _vacation._ We should go back, get ready for what we need to do.”

“And then do what? Just sit around and be anxious and worry? Do you really think that Kit and Loki will benefit from that?” Gabriel asked. “You know how they are! They’ll go mad! Do you want them to fly off the handle at the smallest thing?”

“So what you’re proposing is that we just stay here and forget about things for a while?” Rich demanded. “They won’t go away, Gabriel!”

“I know that! But at least it’ll help ease the stress some! We’ve all been wound up for weeks now!”

“Gabriel—”

“Rich—”

“Knock it off!”

Rich and Gabriel whipped their heads around at the sound of Loki’s voice. He had stepped out onto the pathway and looked highly annoyed. “I heard what you were ‘talking’ about. Rich,” he said, glaring at the human. “If you weren’t so busy being worried, you would realize that Gabriel is right: we all need some time to focus on ourselves.” He snapped his head to Gabriel and scowled at him. “And you should’ve waited to discuss this with all _four_ of us!”

Loki gave them both one more disgusted look. “Kit just dozed off, and we are going to let her rest until she awakens. When she does, _she_ gets to decide on whether we stay or not.” He leveled his gaze at them both. “ _Got it?_ ”

Gabriel and Rich didn’t know whether to be intimidated or turned on from Loki’s fiery gaze.

“Got it,” Gabriel choked out.

“Y-Yes,” Rich stammered quietly

“Good. Now either get in here or shut up.”

Loki stalked back inside the alcove, and Rich sighed and looked at Gabriel. “Look,” he said quietly. “Even if we do stay, I told my parents that I’d be out of touch for just a day or two! They’re expecting me to let them know how I am after that!”

“Well, then we’ll go back so you can make check-ins from time to time,” Gabriel said, shrugging. “We would have to do that anyway if we were just visiting here, right?”

“I hope we remembered not to leave any of the lights on in the house,” Rich grumbled as he headed towards their room.

“I double-checked!” Gabriel said, running after him.

“Exactly!”

* * *

Loki had hunted down chairs for everyone to sit on while Kit slept. They didn’t know what to say at first and just watched her sleep. So much had been said earlier in the Guardian’s chambers.

Eventually, Rich sighed and stood. “I know that everything happened for a reason. I know that I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” he said as he started to pace. “But I can’t help but feel like she was dragged into this against her will.”

“If you’re thinking along those lines,” Loki said from his chair that was placed against the wall. “Then you, me, and Gabriel are in this against our wills, too.”

Rich stopped and looked stricken. “Oh God, Loki, I didn’t mean for it to sound _that_ way!”

“It’s alright, Baby. I’ve voiced the same thoughts before too, you know.” Loki stood and went to stand in front of Rich. “I’ve even thought that we got involved too quickly.”

“Too quickly?” Rich frowned as he looked into Loki’s face. “I don’t understand.”

Loki sighed. “We barely knew each other when we slept together for the first time.”

“Loki,” Rich said, laying his hands softly on the trickster god’s chest. “We knew each other. Hell, we _loved_ each other and didn’t even realize it fully at the time. I know,” he said at the doubt in his lover’s eyes. “I know that we were—and still are—being influenced by the Cosmos and those forces and whatever else may be swirling about. Not saying that it doesn’t irk me. But we did and DO know each other. On a deep level.”

He turned to look at Gabriel. “I know you the same way.”

Gabriel tilted his head. “You too, Baby.” He moved his gaze to Loki. “Same for you, Sugar.”

Rich pulled Loki towards him. “I’m sorry for making you feel that way. And I’m sorry that you feel like we went too fast.”

Loki wrapped his arms around Rich’s waist. “I don’t blame you for anything. We’re all affected in some way by this, despite how happy we all are because of it.”

“I love you,” Rich said, leaning forward and kissing Loki tenderly.

They continued kissing softly, and Gabriel looked on fondly, his heart filling with joy at the sight. He loved seeing his loves being affectionate towards one another.

A movement from the bed had him turning his head, and he kept quiet.

* * *

Kit was awake, but her eyes were riveted on Rich and Loki. She watched their lips touching, their arms entwined around one another, their hands moving gently. She had seen them kiss before, but it felt different this time.

She had been in their arms just a few hours ago. She had been held tightly, felt secure, safe.

Loki and Rich pulled slightly apart, sighing against each other’s mouths, and Kit had to force herself to look away. She didn’t know what to think anymore, and was wishing that she was still sleeping…

“Kit?” she heard Gabriel say. She snapped her eyes in his direction.

“Hmm?”

“Are you OK? You’ve been asleep for a few hours.” Gabriel got to his feet and went to sit by her. “Do you need anything?”

Rich and Loki stepped apart and faced her. They pulled up their chairs and sat, letting Gabriel stay by her on the bed for the time being.

Kit had noticed Rich and Loki, and could see that they were flushed and that their lips were swollen from kissing. She shook her head, berating herself when she became teary-eyed.

The faces of the others quickly grew concerned. “Kit? What’s wrong?” Rich asked, leaning forward. “Are you sick?”

Gabriel quickly went to place his hand on her shoulder, but she stopped him. “No, no, I’m not sick. I’m just...” She looked at him, then over at Rich and Loki. “I’m just wondering where I fit in all of this.”

Gabriel tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

Kit lowered her eyes. “I don't know what I am in all of this. Do I just live with you from now on, hanging in the guest room and cuddling on the couch with one of you when I feel sad and lonely?”

Glances of bewilderment were exchanged. “Kit, what are you saying exactly?” Gabriel asked.

Her blue eyes stared into his amber ones. “You _know_ what I mean.”

Gabriel was unable to look away from her intense gaze for a moment. But when comprehension of her question dawned on his face, he smiled coyly and replied, “I can think of _so_ many ways that we can ALL fit together…”

Kit started to sputter, not expecting those words from Gabriel. “But, but…” She looked hesitantly around at them. “You’re all—”

“Is this about you being a woman?” Loki said calmly.

Kit had wondered when he would speak up, and of course it would be when she was flustered. “I…” She turned away. He was looking directly at her, and she couldn’t handle it.

“Kitty,” Rich said gently. “You know that we've all been with women before.”

She was surprised at how Rich’s simple statement gave her a small measure of relief. “I know that.”

“And while Loki and I are fine male specimens, we’re not _entirely_ of your world, ya know...” Gabriel said pompously.

Loki rolled his eyes. “Stop it…”

“What? It’s true! We’re from the fictional ‘verse, so we’re out of this world, Sugar!”

A small smile tugged at the corners of Kit’s mouth as she asked, “So, it doesn’t matter then?”

“Why should it?” Loki asked, ignoring Gabriel’s huffing at not being acknowledged for his comical “brilliance.”

“Well, it’s just been you three for so long.” She pulled the blanket up closer around her. “I want to have a place,” she whispered.

Gabriel laid down beside her and snuggled close to her. Kit allowed him to do so, craving the feeling of being in one of their arms once more. He placed her head on his shoulders and cradled the back of it with his hand.

“Kit, you _do_ have a place.” He kissed the top of her head. “You’ve had a place all this time, sweetheart.”

She turned her head into his shoulder and allowed him to comfort her. “I like this place.”

Gabriel smiled softly. “We like that you like this place, Kit-Kat.”

The mattress dipped behind her and she felt a hand touch her arm. “Speaking of places,” she heard Loki say.

She moved her head until she could see him. He was stretched out behind her and looking at her with such gentle eyes, and the feeling of contentedness increased even more.

Loki continued. “You’ve been through a lot in such a short amount of time. Gabriel suggested that we stay here for a bit of respite, so you can adjust a little to how everything has changed.”

Her eyes widened. Stay? Could they do that? She really didn’t want to be anywhere near where that… _monster_...had hurt her. But…

She rolled over in Gabriel’s arms to face Loki fully. “You mean now? What about,” she swallowed, not wanting to say Cormac’s name. Just the thought of hearing it out loud made her feel sick. “Don’t we have to find him?” She shivered and felt Gabriel’s arms tighten around her. “Don’t we have to stop him?”

Loki shook his head. “You let us worry about that coward.” He rubbed her arm up and down to help calm her. “And yes now. Did Rich tell you how time works differently here?”

Kit found herself feeling more comfortable lying between Loki and Gabriel. She was adjusting some already, but she knew that she still had a long way to go. “Yes, he did,” she said, looking at Rich who had moved to sit at the end of the bed. “But how long exactly are you talking about?” She grew contemplative. “And will I age?”

Rich crawled up on his hands and knees towards them and sat cross-legged near their feet. “Well, you now know about how we all are partially part of each other.” He leaned forward and put a hand on top of her leg. “I don’t want to scare you, but that makes us sorta real and unreal at the same time.”

Kit felt herself pale, and by the way the others reacted, it must’ve been quite alarming.

Gabriel and Loki laid her flat on her back while Rich pulled the blanket off her. Loki and Rich moved to the side and Gabriel gently touched her face.

“Kit? Kit! Don’t pass out on us, sweetheart.”

Her voice was small and quiet. “So I’m not human anymore?”

Rich kneeled next to her on the bed and took hold of her hand. “You’re still human, Darlin’. Sorta an immortal one, is all.”

She looked at him. “So, it’s true, like you said before, in the hospital?” She turned her head to look at Loki to her right, then over to Gabriel at her left. “And you’re the same?”

Gabriel smiled. “Just like we told you: we’re not entirely of your world. We’re mostly archangel and pagan god, respectively, but there’s also a part of us that’s real, that makes us a little mortal. Sorta human.”

Loki sat next to Rich. “We'll all be together forever this way. You said that you didn't want us to leave you. This is a good thing, Kit.”

Kit closed her eyes and sighed. “I don’t see how you got through all this, Rich.”

Rich squeezed her hand. “I’m not gonna lie, it was a bombshell. But I wasn’t alone, and you’re not alone either, OK?”

She squeezed back. “OK.”

“It’s why we think that staying would be good for you, Kit-Kat. It's extra time that you can have to get used to everything, for us to...get to know one another better? Maybe?” Gabriel asked hopefully.

Kit opened her eyes and studied each of their faces. So much alike, yet so different like always. _Like they’d always be,_ she realized. Even if they were to all have clean-shaven faces and the same hair length, she’d know who they were simply by the look in their eyes and the different way they held themselves; the unique lines in their features, their voices.

Then again, despite their short time together, despite knowing Rich for four years, she didn’t really know much about them. They didn’t know much about her. It made sense, to get to know each other more, and on a deeper level.

The thought of heading straight back to Earth, with everything she had learned, with everything changed between them, and dealing with what was happening at the same time, would throw her for a loop. Maybe staying, and trying to do what they suggested, would be the best thing for her to do.

“OK,” she said. Kit smiled at them each in turn as they all looked relieved at her decision. “Will we stay here though?” she asked, then slowly sat up, feeling a bit awkward with them all looking down at her. “I mean, it’s an interesting place and all, but…”

Loki placed a finger under her chin and turned her head towards him. "I seem to remember making a promise to you, and I keep my promises.”

* * *

Since they hadn’t eaten in a good while, Gabriel went to the pantry and whipped up a quick snack for them all. Kit wasn’t very hungry, but ate what the archangel gave her to make him happy. They all arranged themselves at the head of the bed, sitting close and talking quietly.

“No, I won’t tell you where we’re going. That’s between me and Kit,” the trickster told Gabriel after being asked for the third time. “You’ll know once we get there.”

Gabriel’s eyes lit up. “Oh, is it one of our old haunts?” He popped a grape into his mouth and smiled as he chewed.

Loki took an orange wedge from the platter of fruit that Gabriel had prepared and took a bite. “You’ll know when we get there,” he said again.

“Hmmph,” Gabriel said. He leaned against Rich and pouted.

Rich kissed his temple. “Don’t be that way. It’s not as if you don’t get to go, Gabriel.”

“Feed me grapes and I’ll think about it,” Gabriel said, looking at Rich impishly.

Kit held the apple she was eating close to her face, enjoying the playfulness of the three men sitting on the bed with her.

Her eyes widened. _Men._ She supposed that was an apt description for them. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t seen physical proof of it…

“Using fruit to hide your face now, Kit-Kat?”

She turned her eyes to Gabriel and saw him giving her a knowing look. “I wasn’t hiding,” she said, then took a bite of her apple.

“Leave her alone and eat your grapes, Angel,” Loki said.

“But Rich isn’t feeding me,” Gabriel whined.

“I can’t eat and feed you too,” Rich said, swallowing a drink of water. He handed Gabriel a few grapes. “You’re a grown archangel. Eat up.”

“Fine,” Gabriel sighed. “If I must.”

* * *

A short while later they were back with the Guardian. She didn’t seem too surprised that they had chosen to stay for a while.

"I had considered suggesting that you stay for a short time. I'm glad that you all decided on your own,” she explained at their questioning looks. “From what you’ve told me, and what I’ve seen, you all should take this opportunity to rest.”

“Thanks, Boss. That was exactly what I thought,” Gabriel said. He went to give Rich a smug look, but quickly looked away when he saw the human daring him to do so.

“I’m assuming that you’re here to request a portal,” the Guardian said.

“If it’s not too much trouble,” Rich said.

She tapped her fingers on her desk. “Even though this world is secure, I’d rather transport you myself from here.”

“Why?” Loki asked. “If it’s safe, why should it matter?”

The Boss looked at him. “Because even though nothing dangerous is supposed to happen, you all have become dear to me and I don’t want to risk it, that’s why. I care about your safety.”

Loki blinked. “I see.”

“Boss, you mean a lot to us too, ya know,” Rich said.

She smiled warmly, then stood. “You won’t be stranded where you are if that’s your next question.” She turned her head to Gabriel. “You’ll be able to get around just fine.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Gabriel said.

“So,” the Boss said. “Where exactly are you all wanting to go?”

* * *

_**Fictional World - Sandoy: Faroe Islands** _

The quartet appeared near an ashen pebbled beach. The ocean it overlooked was a pure teal color, and waves moved in and out with the cold wind that hit their bodies. Rich and Kit discovered that their torsos were adorned with thick, waterproof coats, and Kit wore a warm, woolen beanie upon her head.

Gabriel looked about them and smiled. “Haven't been here in a VERY long time.”

“Where are we?” Rich asked, putting his hands into his coat pockets.

Loki faced the ocean and inhaled the salty air. “Sandoy, one of the Faroe Islands.”

Kit shook her head. “Where's that? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it.”

The trickster god turned to her. “It’s in the North Atlantic Ocean, about 370 miles west of Norway.”

Her eyes widened. “So _this_ is where you—”

“Not exactly, but close,” he said.

“Did you live here?” Rich asked, looking up and down the beach at the black pebbles. He moved his head and saw that beyond where the beach ended rough, yellow-brown grass grew on large hillsides covered in fog.

Loki nodded. “One of many places I lived, actually.”

Gabriel looked pensive. “I don’t think that your old place is here anymore, Sugar,” he said sadly.

Loki smirked. “Is it?” He snapped and the fog dissipated to reveal a Nordic-style lodge, built of pale white weathered wood and stone. Large windows let in natural light, and they could all plainly see that it had a large central chimney rising from its flat roof.

“Show off,” Gabriel said, striding forward.

They all entered through a large double-door into a mudroom. On habit, they all removed their shoes—Gabriel only after Loki had glared at him—and then entered the main part of the house. They discovered that it was made of the same pale wood as the outside. Even the furniture was the same, though it seemed to have been handmade. A wall separated a kitchen from a den, which had a circular couch curved around a hearth and stone fireplace located in the middle of the room.

A hallway started along the wall that divided the kitchen from the den, and on its right side there was a sauna-sized bathroom that contained a large inground tub.

Directly across the hall was the master bedchamber with a four-poster bed larger than the one in Montana. The entire room was decorated in ornate tapestries, and the floor was covered in a thick, plush rug.

Kit had gulped when she realized that there was only one bedroom. Did they all expect her to…?

She was pulled from her thoughts when Loki ignited the wood in the fireplace. The lodge itself was insulated, but since it was freezing outside, it still required the heat of a fire.

“So, what does one do in the North Atlantic?” Rich asked, plopping down on the beige and thick-cushioned couch after removing his coat.

Gabriel went to look outside the windows at the sea. “We used to have drinking contests with Thor.” He turned to the side to look at Rich. “If only the writers had thought of looking farther back into my and Loki’s history; _so_ many stories that they missed out on.”

“So characters have parts of their lives that are unknown even to the writers themselves? Their own creators?” Kit asked, taking off her coat and beanie. This was something that she had never thought of.

“Yep. We’re our own persons, after all. As soon as we’re created, it’s as if we’ve been alive for as long as we were supposed to have been. I’m an archangel, alive since the beginning of time just about. Therefore, I have seen it all—at least here. When Loki was created, it was the same for him, and he was infused into my past automatically.”

“That’s remarkable!” she said.

“It is kinda neat, isn’t it?” Gabriel said, flashing her a brilliant smile.

Kit smiled back, unable to resist herself. She went to sit by Rich, who lifted his arm and tucked her into him. “Are you doing OK?” he said softly to her.

“I’m fine,” she said. She looked around the room. This was going to be her home for the next month and a half. These three men, her companions for the rest of her life.

_Forever,_ she corrected herself.

_Be happy, Catherine. They want you._

_Don’t you want them?_

* * *

For the rest of the day, the four occupants became familiar with the lodge and its surroundings. Gabriel zeroed in on the kitchen, and after discovering that there was absolutely no food in the fridge—which he fussed at Loki about—he took off to get supplies.

Rich was curious about the island itself, and he and Loki sat on the couch and discussed its climate, how the Norns had come to be there, and why he’d decided to call it one of his homes.

“It’s secluded,” Kit said. She’d been sitting by and listening to their conversation. “You wanted to be alone, away from other people.”

Loki crossed his legs and regarded her. “I could say that I was hiding from my father, as the writers inferred. But,” he folded his arms and leaned back further into the couch. “I _was_ untrusting of others.” He smiled as he recalled a memory. “However, Gabriel was always there. He was masquerading as me at the time, but he came to see me every chance he got.”

Rich laid a hand on Loki’s thigh and squeezed it. “So you never felt alone at all, did you?”

Loki looked at him. “It’s hard to feel alone when he’s around. You know how he is.”

“Are you guys talking about me again?”

They all turned to see Gabriel holding three sacks of groceries outside the kitchen, his eyes narrowed playfully at them.

Loki's eyes immediately shot to the archangel’s feet. “You forgot something.”

Gabriel tilted his head. “What? Did you want something? You didn’t mention it.” He started to turn so he could set the bags on the table beside him. “I don’t mind going ba—”

Rich stood and ran over to stop him from moving. “Your shoes, Gabriel!”

Gabriel’s mouth opened into an “O” shape. “Crap.” He looked at Loki and smiled sheepishly. “I don’t mean to keep forgetting, Sugar.”

“Hmm,” Loki replied, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

Gabriel sighed, then handed the bags to Rich. He flicked his wrist and his shoes disappeared. “I promise one day I’ll stop altogether.”

Rich placed the bags down. “I like that you and Loki developed these little quirks, and I don’t mind that they’re a little annoying sometimes. Don’t feel bad about them.” He walked forward and wrapped his arms around Gabriel’s waist and kissed him on the forehead. “It’s charming.”

“I don’t feel bad about it,” Loki said. He rolled his eyes when Gabriel stuck his tongue out at him. “I don’t!”

Kit felt out of place once more. She wanted to have something to say to join in on their banter and their flirting, but she just…didn’t.

“You alright, Kitty?”

She looked up at Rich. “Y-Yeah, just hungry I guess,” she lied.

She felt all their eyes on her and knew that they had seen through her words. Dammit, why couldn’t she just say what she was feeling? She had no trouble earlier!

“Don’t hide from us again,” Loki said.

She stiffened, then turned her head to him. “I’m—”

“I can see in your face that something’s wrong, and we of all people are the ones that you should trust to share your worries with.”

It was true: she wanted to hide. She was starting to feel exposed. “I don’t know what to say around all of you anymore. Our…Our dynamic has changed. Do I get to say what I think here? Do I get to say something about this there? When can I say it? Does my opinion matter?”

“Kit…” Rich began as he and Gabriel walked over and sat on either side of her. “ _All_ of that matters. We _want_ to hear that. We want all of you.”

“Even the parts of me that are ugly? Shameful? Dark?”

“We’ve all those too, Kit. We’re far from perfect,” Gabriel said, holding her hand. “What do you want to say?”

“Well, it all kinda began when we first walked into the house earlier.”

The archangel raised both his eyebrows. “Oh?”

She lowered her eyes. “There’s only, well, one bedroom,” she murmured, her cheeks coloring.

Gabriel sighed. “We’re not going to rush you or anything, sweetheart.”

“I wasn’t implying that you were going to!” she said, looking at them all, worried that she had said something offensive. “I know that you would never do that, but one bedroom, and—”

“It was so we could be near one another at night, nothing more,” Loki said, halting her outburst. “But you can stay in here if it makes you feel more comfortable.”

She tightened her hand in Gabriel’s. “A-Alone?” What was _wrong_ with her? Now she was starting to feel uncomfortable at the thought of being away from them, even in the same house!

“I’ll stay in here with you, Kit-Kat,” Gabriel said, clasping her hand within both of his. “You can sleep on the couch, I’ll snap up a cot.”

She looked at him. “You wouldn’t mind?”

He smiled. “Of course not.”

“Thank you,” she said, then took a deep breath and sighed. “I’m sorry for being so difficult. I’m trying to adjust. I _want_ to adjust.”

“Just be yourself, Kit,” Rich said. She looked at him and he gave her a reassuring smile. “We’ve all seen the real you. Don’t keep her from us just because we’re all together now.”

“I’ll try.”

“That’s my girl,” Rich said. He leaned over and kissed her gently on the cheek. “Now, I’m guessing that we all should actually eat.” He turned to Gabriel. “What did you bring back?”

* * *

That night Kit was confused as they all headed to bed. It was still light outside. Loki explained that since the islands were so far north, they averaged nineteen hours of daylight during certain times of the year.

“Don’t worry, I can help out,” Gabriel said. He walked over to the large windows of the room and swiped his pointer finger across each one. They darkened and cast the den into twilight. The only light came from the soft glow of a handful of lamps.

Loki and Rich turned to Kit. “See you in the morning?” Rich asked. He stood awkwardly, as if waiting for Kit to do something.

Kit saw a look cross his face, and it registered quickly after. “Yes. I’ll be here,” she said, and smiled as she stepped forward and hugged him. She felt him raise his arms and hold her against him, rubbing her back with his hand.

“Good night, Kitty,” he said.

She pulled back. “Night.”

She looked over at Loki. He had watched the entire exchange, and she saw a hopeful look in his eyes.

“Sleep well, Loki,” she said.

He surprised her by tugging her over and embracing her. She opened her eyes wide, then smiled as she returned his actions. Loki pressed her against him and leaned his cheek against the top of her head. “Good night,” he said softly.

“Good night,” she replied. They removed their arms from each other, and she watched as Gabriel shared a kiss with Loki, then one with Rich.

“Good night you sexy beasts!” Gabriel called as Loki and Rich walked down the hallway towards the bedroom.

When the bedroom door closed behind them, he turned to Kit. “Well, I guess it’s our turn.”

Kit blinked. “Uh, yeah, I guess so.”

Gabriel leaned towards her, and Kit’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. “G-Gabriel, what are you—!”

He paused. “I was just going in for a hug, hon,” he said. He frowned, the realization dawning on his face. “Whoa, you think I was gonna…? Why, Kit! I’m not gonna have our first kiss _this_ way!”

She made an exasperated sound and went to walk past him in embarrassment, but he caught her arm in a gentle grasp and stopped her. “Hey, hey. It’s OK. I didn’t mean to make you feel uneasy.”

She lowered her face. She knew that, but hearing him say those words out loud changed the atmosphere in the room. “It’s O—”

“You can say what you’re feeling, remember?”

She raised her head. His eyes were so understanding. So trusting. “I wasn’t expecting you to say that.”

“Say what?” he asked, his hand still on her arm. It felt warm, safe, comforting.

“You, and me, and,” she touched her fingers to her lips. “And…”

Gabriel laughed softly. “I tend to have no filter, don’t I?” He turned her so he could hug her. “This is why you have the right to speak your mind, so I know when I’ve upset you.”

“But you didn’t—”

“Kit…”

She huffed out a breath against his shoulder. “I knew what you meant. You weren’t being mean.”

Gabriel moved back so he could look into her face. “I still should’ve realized that I might’ve bothered you by saying what I did.” He looked truly remorseful. “I’m sorry, Kit-Kat.”

“It’s not necessary, but thank you, Gabriel,” Kit replied.

They stood looking at each other for a moment, then Gabriel broke the spell by giving her a light squeeze. “Well, I think we should hit the sack.”

Kit suddenly felt sad that they had to go to sleep. However, she reluctantly nodded. “Yeah, I think so too.”

She laid down on the couch and used the blanket Loki had set out for her to cover herself. She watched Gabriel climb into the cot that had been set up directly across from the couch.

“I’ll be right here, OK? I won’t be far,” he promised. He snapped his fingers to turn all the lamps off, then held out a hand and stuck out his pinkie.

She stretched out her arm and hooked their fingers together. “You’re so silly,” she said, though she smiled anyway.

“You’re beautiful when you do that,” he said, squeezing her finger.

“Do what?” she asked, squeezing back.

“Being yourself. Smiling.”

* * *

Rich curled up next to Loki, covered in sweat, feeling sated. They both had literally clawed the other’s clothes off the minute the door had closed behind them, feeling the need to be close to one of the members of their newly united quad. It had been hard and fast, Loki taking the reins to push them over the edge as quickly as possible.

It wasn’t that they just wanted to get Kit into their bed and ravish her until she begged and screamed their names. True, they wanted to reach that point eventually, but at the moment they wanted to just all be together. This bond that had bloomed in the Boss’ chambers was still so fragile, so tenuous, and it was felt acutely by Rich, Gabriel, and Loki.

Kit was their main concern. Kit was the reason that they were here. She should’ve been with them from the start, and now they had a lot of catching up to do. That's why they wanted to be close all the time. To have as much interaction as possible so she felt comfortable around them once again. They ached to hold her and have her do so in return; to touch one another casually; to behave as those in a relationship should.

But they wouldn’t push her. It wasn’t her fault.

“We have time,” Loki whispered into Rich’s ear. The pagan circled his fingers against the damp skin of his back. “She’s better than she was.”

Rich sighed. “I know. It’s just… I guess I’m still a little upset that she had to go through what she did while we were oblivious to it.” He hugged himself to Loki. “It’s not fair.”

“She’s with us now. We’ll make it up to her,” Loki soothed. He tucked Rich’s head under his chin. “Go to sleep, Rich. She’s just down the hall with Gabriel. She’s safe. We’ll see her in the morning.”

“Always telling me to go to bed,” Rich said sleepily. He kissed Loki’s skin. “Love you.”

“You too,” he said, then motioned his hand to black out the windows, casting the room into darkness. “Good night.”

* * *

Gabriel rolled over in his cot and twitched his nose.

Something smelled.

And that something smelled _really good._

He opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling of the lodge. For a moment he had to remember where he was, then stretched and turned his head towards the couch. When he saw that Kit wasn’t there, he sat up.

“Kit?”

“In here!” her voice answered from the kitchen.

He stood carefully from the cot and made his way from the den and around the wall that separated the rooms. He saw the human woman pouring batter onto a griddle at the stove.

“What are you doing?” he asked, walking up to stand by her. He watched her reach over for a bright yellow bag and open it.

“Making chocolate chip pancakes,” she replied. She poured some of the chips into her hand and sprinkled them on top of the slightly bubbling pancake. “They’re my favorite breakfast food.”

Gabriel grinned in delight. “They’re my favorite food period.”

She turned to him and smiled brightly. “Really?”

He nodded. “I love pancakes and chocolate. Chocolate chip pancakes combines them both perfectly.”

Her eyes lit up at his words. “Well, aren’t you lucky then! They’re the only thing I can actually make that’s worth eating!”

“It’s fate! We were all meant to be together for real! You were destined to make them just for me,” Gabriel joked. He started to laugh, but stopped when he saw her eyes grow sad. “Kit?”

She turned back to the stove and flipped the pancakes that were in the pan. “Well, I guess you could see it that way…”

Gabriel frowned. “Hey, that was a huge 180; what’s wrong?” He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Did I say something?”

Kit kept her eyes on the griddle. “No, you didn’t do anything.” She removed the cooked pancakes and picked up the bowl of batter. “I actually learned how to make these from one of my foster parents.”

Gabriel watched her ladle four spoonfuls of batter onto the griddle. Her expression was solemn as she did so, and he wondered why she had gone from so cheerful to her current mood.

“Were they nice?” he asked after she put the bowl down.

“She was actually the only foster parent I ever had,” Kit said. “She noticed that I never interacted with anyone, so she tried to get me to come out of my shell by teaching me to cook. I was a disaster. I just couldn’t get it. Then one morning, she showed me how to make these. I don’t know what it was, but I had no problem whatsoever with them. Of course, I failed miserably on everything after that.

“So my foster mom, she let me be the official pancake cook. Everyone in the house was always excited when I made them.”

The pancakes were bubbly, so she went to put her hand in the chocolate chip bag. She stilled when Gabriel’s hand joined hers and they touched. She looked at him and he smiled warmly at her.

“I can help, ya know,” he said.

She smiled. “Thanks.”

They each took a small handful of chips and dotted the pancakes, and she sighed as she continued her story. “I was most happiest when I was there. My fondest memories were of living in that house with Mom…”

She set her lips into a thin line and flipped the pancakes.

Gabriel heard the affection and pain in her voice clearly. “What happened to her, Kit?” he asked softly.

“She was going to adopt me. Had taken care of all the necessary paperwork. Jumped through all the hoops. We went to the social worker’s office, some informal meeting, I can’t remember. I was a kid still. Some other kids were there for some reason. I don't remember why either, nor do I care to.” She took the batch of pancakes out and turned the stove off.

“I never liked bullies. I always got into fights with them when they picked on the little ones when I was in the orphanage. When I was in the hallway waiting on my mom to come get me to see the social worker, I saw a couple of the bigger kids picking on a smaller one.”

Gabriel watched her chew her lip and look away. “I’m guessing that what happened next didn’t turn out too well,” he said.

She nodded sadly. “Let’s just say that it turned into a brawl and the social worker accused my mom of having no control over me. The adoption was denied, I was sent back to the orphanage, and deemed a troublemaker.”

“Oh Kit,” Gabriel said, his heart breaking for her. He reached out and took her in his arms. “That was so wrong. You were standing up for someone else and punished for it. I’m so so sorry, sweetheart.”

She reached her arms up behind his back and held onto his shirt as she laid her head on his shoulder. “I never told anyone that before,” she whispered.

Gabriel rubbed his hand up and down her back. “You can tell me—us—anything. We’ll listen.”

She nodded against his shirt, then pulled away, wiping gently at the corner of her eyes with her fingers. “Thank you. I’ll remember that.” She turned and picked up the platter she had set the pancakes on. “This enough?”

Gabriel grinned and snatched one off the top of the pile. “Maybe,” he said, and stuffed it into his mouth.

Kit’s mouth dropped. “Hey! Wait until everyone else is up!”

Laughing, Gabriel playfully tried to get another, but Kit was ready for him and twisted away. “No! You have to wait!” she said, laughing.

The archangel danced around her. He’d gotten her to laugh, which was his goal all along. “But they’re so yummy! I want them nooooow…” he whined. He gave a half-hearted attempt to grab her plate, but she spun away once more. “Kiiiiit…”

“You’ll eat them all! What will Rich and Loki have if you do?” Kit scolded teasingly. She stepped backwards, holding the platter over her head with both of her arms. “Good little archangels wait like everyone else!”

“Little? _Little?_ ” Gabriel darted towards her, and she yelped, turning around quickly. However, as she started to run from him, her socked feet slipped on the smooth wood beneath her and she lost her balance. She instinctively flailed her arms, the dish above her head flying from her hands as she pitched forward.

Gabriel dove and caught her about the waist. They then both fell back onto the floor, and he groaned as they landed, the pancakes scattering about them.

Kit lay there for a moment, breathing hard, and Gabriel started to laugh beneath her. She quickly joined in, and they soon both had tears running down their faces.

“No one gets pancakes!” Gabriel crowed, holding Kit tightly against him.

Kit covered her face with her hands. “You get to explain all this,” she giggled.

They both sighed as their laughter tapered off, and it grew quiet. Kit placed her hands on top of Gabriel’s and looked over at the floor.

“Flip a coin to see who cleans this all up?” she asked.

She gasped when Gabriel flipped _her_ over so he could roll her beneath him. She looked up at him and was startled at the look in his eyes.

“This is the way I want it to be,” he whispered.

Before she could ask what he meant, he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers in a long, sweet kiss. Kit couldn’t help but close her eyes as she felt his lips mold against hers, then moaned when he nibbled her lower lip before slanting their mouths together.

The next thing they knew, they were wrapping their arms around each other as they opened their lips to touch their tongues together. It was like a spark had ignited within them. They ground their bodies against one another, moaning into their kiss.

Gabriel released her lips and panted. “Kit… Oh God...“ He thrust his pelvis against hers, groaning when she spread her legs. “Look what you’ve done to me.” He pressed his erection between her thighs.

Kit didn’t know where this surge of lust was coming from, she just knew that she _liked_ it. “Gabriel…please…”

“I won’t do anything unless you’re sure, Kit…”

She opened her eyes, saw the hunger-filled ones of the archangel above her. Realized that he wanted her, and she wanted him.

And oh, did she want him…

She was _very_ sure of that.

She reached up and gripped the back of Gabriel’s hair. “If you stop, I won’t talk to you for the rest of the time that we’re here,” she threatened. “ _Now…_ ”

Gabriel smirked. “Oh honey, all you had to do was ask.”

Between one breath and the next, she found herself sitting on the couch, arms stretched to either side of her across the top of the couch, legs bent and spread wide. She was naked, and pillows were placed under her back to support the odd angle she had been placed in, her ass nearly at the edge of the couch.

She looked up and saw Gabriel walking towards her, making her catch her breath. He was also naked, and she licked her lips. His body was wiry instead of pure muscle as she had expected it to be because of the strength he had exhibited. His arms and legs flexed as he walked, making his skin ripple and her mouth go dry. Her eyes trailed down his chest to his abdomen, then widened as she saw his cock. It was long, girthy, and curved up with its tip resting at his belly button. The dark vein along its underside led down to his testicles, which were heavy and full, swollen and needing to be emptied.

The sight was unreal. All three of them looked this way? And all three of them wanted her?

She felt herself grow wet at the thought and she started to press her legs together to help ease the tension between them.

Gabriel eyed her. “Don’t you dare move, Kit-Kat. I want to see that rosy pussy in all its glory.”

She stilled at his words. Oh God, had he just _ordered_ her? And he had a filthy mouth too? She wasn’t sure if she was going to survive this! She started to pant, feeling her arousal increase.

“I gotta see what I’m doing so I can make you scream, Kit,” Gabriel purred, coming to stand before her. He grasped his cock and gave it a few strokes. “You wanna suck my dick? Or would you rather I…” He flicked his eyes down to her spread thighs and wet his lips. “Look at you, all smooth down there, making it easier for me to get down to business.”

He watched her think over his words, and took the time to look over her. Her skin was flushed with arousal, her blue eyes dark, round and wide. Even though she had recovered from her malnourishment, he knew that when she was back to her normal physique it wouldn’t be unlike the women he had dallied with during the Renaissance, the ones who were chosen by the great artists and sculptors of the time as inspirations for their creations.

_How fitting,_ he thought, remembering how he had called Rich an artist the first time they met.

“W-Won’t they hear us?” Kit asked, and Gabriel felt himself want her even more at her innocent question.

“They’re still asleep, and I’ve made sure no sounds leave this part of the house. Besides,” he said, kneeling before her. “If they _did_ catch us, it’s not as if we’re doing anything wrong, right?”

She had no chance to respond as he leaned forward and spread her folds with his fingers. “Mmm, been so long since I’ve gotten to play with a pussy,” he sighed. He lowered his head and inhaled her scent and smiled. “You smell so good, Kit. Perfect. I’m going to eat you up.”

Kit shivered. “G-Gabriel…”

“Hmm?” he asked. He ran a finger along her opening. “So wet, Kit. Dripping.” He slipped his finger inside and she clenched her muscles around it. “That’s it, show me how bad you want it.”

Kit whimpered. She’d never been this turned on in her life. “Don’t stop, Gabriel, please…”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “Why would I?” he asked. He pushed in another finger and started to move them inside her. “I want to make you feel good.”

“Ah! Promise you won’t stop!” she begged. She wanted to move her hips, wanted to grab his head, but he’d told her not to move.

“Kit, why do you think I would stop?” Gabriel asked, twisting his fingers, searching for her g-spot. “I’m going to make you scream, remember?”

She threw her head back as Gabriel’s fingers found their target. “AH!”

“Feel good, beautiful?” Gabriel asked, massaging her gently. He watched as she tossed her head. “Want more?”

“ _Please…_ ”

Gabriel started to pump his fingers hard inside of her, and she moaned loud and long with his movements. He felt her grow wetter around his fingers, heard the squelching from inside of her, and it made his mouth water.

“Fuck, Kit, you’re hot,” he rasped. He shoved another finger inside of her and pumped faster. “Cum for me, Kit. Wanna taste your pussy cum.”

Kit strained against his hand. She wanted to cum so bad. It built and built, and he was relentless. Soon, she felt the pleasure in her belly coil and snap and she shouted, felt her walls clamp tightly around the archangel’s still moving fingers. He didn’t let up, kept jabbing them into her over and over, aiming for her g-spot, throwing her into another orgasm as soon as the first one ended.

She rode his hand, moving her hips without realizing it. He let her, and smiled as she shuddered and came down. She felt her pulse beat in her ears, her heart thud in her chest. Gabriel still knelt before her as his fingers slipped from her heat, and she whined when she felt his hair brush against the inside of her thighs.

She heard him suck on his fingers and moan. “Fuck…you taste like peaches. Fuckin’ peaches, Kit,” he said. He grasped her thighs in his hands, then buried his face into her.

“Gabriel!” she cried, feeling his mouth and tongue start to devour her. “Oh…oh fuck, Gabriel!”

Gabriel sucked, licked, _drank_ from Kit. He was in his element, his favorite pastime. His tongue ran along her labia, swiping up and down, sucking the soft folds between his lips. He closed his eyes, thrilling in her taste, her scent, her cries of pleasure. He pushed his tongue inside of her warmth, gathering her wetness into his mouth, feeling like he could get drunk on it, full on it.

He hadn’t had breakfast yet, after all.

“Such a sweet, delicious pussy, Kit,” he moaned. He raised a hand and pushed the hood of skin that encircled her clit down so it was exposed entirely. He then moved his mouth up and lapped at it. “Perfect,” he said once more. He swirled his tongue rapidly around the swollen organ, felt her thighs shake, her voice rise in volume and pitch. He kissed it tenderly, looked up at her fevered, flushed face, then covered her clit with his mouth and started to suckle it firmly.

“Oh God! Yes! Please!” Kit shouted.

Gabriel continued sucking her clit, increasing the pressure. He kept their gazes locked as he pushed her closer and closer, then brought his other hand into play, thrusting two fingers deep within her, curling them to stimulate her from the inside.

She screamed his name as she was rocked with a powerful orgasm. Gabriel felt a spurt of wetness against his lips, and he opened his mouth wider to drink it up. So good!

He slowly removed his drenched fingers while licking her through the aftershocks. “Oh babydoll, you gushed for me. I’m gonna have to do that with you every time.” He sucked his fingers clean of her fluids, not wanting to waste a single drop of it.

He was throbbing almost painfully, and looking at her all wet and swollen and spread out for him increased his need. He stood and leaned over her. “Do you want my cock now?” he asked, his voice deep and lustful. He reached out and lay a hand on one of her breasts and tweaked her nipple. “Hmm, gonna give these a lot of attention next time…”

She shivered at the thought of there being a next time, and the untold many, many times that she knew were to come after that. She looked up at him, covered in sweat and gasping. “Please…need it…”

“Need you too, Kit. Want you,” he said, then braced his hands on the couch on either side of her head as he settled between her legs. “Gonna fuck you so good.” He moved his body up and down, slicking the head of his cock between her folds. “So good, Kit…”

Without warning he snapped his hips forward and fucked into her hard, forcing a strangled cry from the woman beneath him. “Wrap your legs around me, Kit,” he breathed as he started a hard, rough pace from having held off his pleasure for too long. She eagerly complied, and the couch scraped along the floor as he thrust hard within her.

He leaned his head against Kit’s, and they stared into each other’s eyes. “Kit, Kit…” he groaned. He kissed her, and she moaned at the taste of herself on his lips. “So good, feel so good.”

“Ah… AH!” Kit was awash in pleasure. Gabriel’s cock stretched her, filled her in ways she’d never felt before. The way he had her positioned allowed him to thrust deep inside her, and the bulging head of his cock brushed her cervix on nearly every thrust. And she loved it. She loved it!

“Tight! So tight! Not gonna last long, Kit!” Gabriel said, driving faster into her. “Gonna cum in you hard!”

“Do it! Do it!” Kit said against his mouth, reaching up with her hands to dig her nails into his shoulders.

Gabriel hissed and worked a hand between them to circle her clit, rubbing his index finger from side to side against it roughly. “Finish with me, Kit-Kat,” he groaned.

“Ah! _Uh!_ I’m…”

“Fuck! _Kit!!!_ ”

“Gabriel!!!”

Gabriel grasped the back of her head and held her tightly to his shoulder as they both lost themselves to ecstasy. It was overwhelming, and Kit couldn’t stop herself from crying at the intensity.

She lost all awareness, then came to when she felt Gabriel kissing her tears away. She opened her eyes to see him looking at her in concern. “You OK, sweetheart?” he asked, running the back of his hand down her face.

Kit noticed that they were lying lengthwise on the couch, Gabriel on top of her and between her legs still. They were both covered in the blanket she had used the night before.

“I think so,” she said, looking into the archangel’s eyes. She moved her arms up and wrapped them around his neck. “I’ve never experienced it like that before. It was…bliss.”

Gabriel’s lips curved into a pleased smile, and he bent his head to kiss her. “And you’re gonna get it like that from now on, Peaches.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Peaches? Really?” She gasped into his mouth when he kissed her again.

“Of course! I’m going to use it as a way to remind myself of how incredibly _delectable_ you are,” Gabriel replied, licking his lips.

“You’re a perv,” Kit said, but she raised her head and kissed him back. “We really need to clean up and sort the kitchen,” she said reluctantly.

Gabriel wriggled his eyebrows. “Yeah, but I’m your perv now.” He pecked her lips; he couldn’t get enough of her lips against his. He then snapped his fingers and said, “There, all done.”

Kit noticed that they were both clean and dressed. “Well, that’s convenient,” she said, impressed. She couldn't resist giving him another kiss. “I might just have to keep you.”

“Oh, you’re stuck with me, sad to say,” he teased. He threw the blanket over the back of the couch and rolled off her to the floor and stood. “So, you gonna make another batch of pancakes?”

She raised herself to her elbows and smiled. “If that’s what you want, honey.”

Gabriel’s eyes twinkled. “Oh I do, snookums.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Don’t call me that ever again.”

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “OK, I won’t…pookie bear.”

Kit grabbed her pillow and walloped him with it. Gabriel took off cackling for the kitchen, Kit chasing after him and shouting obscenities.

Neither noticed Rich and Loki standing at the end of the hallway watching them oddly.

“What the hell?” Rich said.

“Two of them,” Loki said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Two of them.”

* * *

_**The Summit** _

The Boss stepped out onto the pathway and spotted Gabe and Richard waiting for her. She waved her arm behind her to close the door to the alcove, then went to meet them.

“How is he?” Richard asked, looking beyond her at the room she had exited.

“He’s doing much better. He’s stable, and getting stronger by the hour,” she replied. “I think he may have sensed Rich, and it strengthened his will to heal at a faster rate. The creators of each world have their own special bond with their works, and we Guardians are able to identify and perceive it.”

“Is that why you care so much for the characters you watch over?” Gabe asked.

She nodded. “We become a pseudo-extension of them, in a way. We’re their stewards.”

Richard still looked at the door. “I hope he gets better soon. I…I have so much…I need to say. I’m…” He turned away and pressed his head into Gabe’s shoulder.

“I’ve told you that it wasn’t your fault, Sweetheart,” Gabe said, putting his hand on the back of Richard’s neck and kissing his head. “He knows that too.”

Richard nodded against Gabe. “I still need to say it, though,” he said quietly.

“You’ll get to,” the Boss said. She started to walk up the pathway to her room. “I’ve work to do. You know where I’ll be.”

Gabe watched her leave, then turned his body so he could hold Richard against him. “Come on, Babe, let’s call it a night, huh?”

Richard sighed in his arms. “Just hold me until I go to sleep?”

Gabe led them to their room. “I’ll hold you all night, my heart.”

* * *

_**Fictional World - Sandoy, Faroe Islands** _

“Chocolate chip pancakes, huh?” Rich said as they all sat down at the kitchen table.

Kit nodded as she first put three onto Gabriel’s plate before quickly passing the platter over to Loki.

“Just three?” the archangel pouted.

“Eat those and you’ll get some more,” Kit said, shooting him a glare.

Gabriel gave her a roguish grin and grabbed the whipped cream. He made a spectacle of covering his food with it, then set the container back on the table. “Oh, I’ll ‘eat’ alright,” he said. He swirled his finger in the fluffy white substance, then licked it off slowly.

She quickly looked away and glanced about the table. “Oh! I forgot the coffee! Let me go get it!” She pushed her chair from the table and all but ran to the counter to grab the coffee pot. She came back and set it down. “Sorry about that!”

Rich and Loki regarded her strangely while Gabriel happily stuffed his face with a pancake. Loki poured his cup of coffee and reached for the sugar. “So, did you two sleep well last night?” he asked.

“We did,” Kit said. She piled two pancakes onto her plate. She debated putting whipped cream on them, but felt Gabriel’s eyes on her and decided against it. “The couch was very comfortable.”

“It _is_ a very comfortable couch. Sturdy, too,” Gabriel said. “Can I have some coffee, babe?” he asked Rich.

Kit didn’t know why the archangel just didn’t come straight out and say it. Hadn’t he said that it didn’t matter if they knew or not? She risked a peek at Gabriel to see him giving her a knowing look.

Of course: he was dropping hints, waiting on them to figure it out.

She relaxed, and dug into her food.

They carried on conversation, Gabriel weaving in clues about their morning activities. Kit paid close attention to Rich’s and Loki’s faces, looking for any signs of them catching on. The platter of pancakes started to dwindle—most being eaten by Gabriel—and the archangel began to show signs of becoming a bit frustrated as his antics received no reaction.

Kit was about to just come out and say it when Loki rolled his eyes. “I know what you two did. Just finish your food, Gabriel.”

Gabriel paused in the act of placing a forkful of pancake into his mouth. He lowered the utensil to his plate and shook his head. “You are such an asshole.”

“And you aren’t as subtle as you think you are,” Loki shot back, drinking the last of his coffee. He looked over at Kit. “I knew that something had happened the moment I saw the way you two were looking at each other. I know that look.” He turned and took Rich’s hand into his own, rubbing his thumb along the inside of the human’s wrist. “I saw it as recently as last night.”

Rich leaned over and kissed Loki. “I love you too,” he said softly, holding the side of the trickster god’s face gently within his hand.

“So it’s OK, then? Really? That it was just me and him…?” Kit knew the answer to her questions already, but she needed to hear them for herself. There were so many unknowns, and she hated those!

“Of course it’s OK! There’s no jealousy involved with us. We’re all equal parts of this relationship, Kitty. No one can tell the other what they can or cannot do,” Rich said, smiling brightly at her. “If you wanna suck Gabriel’s face off in front of us, go for it! We’ll watch and be damn happy about it!”

“And hopefully sometime soon you’ll be sucking theirs off too,” Gabriel said, winking to emphasize the innuendo in his statement. Kit’s eyes widened and he stood and kissed her. “Just saying,” he said, then waved his hand to clear the remains of their meal away.

Kit looked over shyly at Loki and Rich, who gazed at her like nothing was out of the ordinary. “So, this is how we start, huh?”

“If you want,” Rich said.

She lowered her eyes to the table. “I feel a little overwhelmed when it’s all of you around me,” she said honestly, then quickly looked up when she realized what that must have sounded like. “It doesn't mean that I don’t like being around all of you. I just need time to get used to it.”

“Why don’t we take it slowly, then? You were with Gabriel alone, though he’s notorious for his impulsiveness,” Loki said, giving the archangel a playful glare.

“It’s served me well many a time!” Gabriel smirked, leaning his arms on the back of Kit’s chair before kissing the top of her head. He was obviously eating up the fact that he could be openly affectionate with her now.

“I’m comfortable with that,” Kit said in response to Loki’s suggestion. She hung her head. “I’m sorry that I’m so back and forth. It’s not fair to you all…”

“Hey, hey,” Gabriel said, lowering his arms and wrapping them around her shoulders. “No sorries, OK? We do this at your pace. Why do you think I asked you if you were sure earlier? Even if you had said ‘no’ and I had ended up with the world’s biggest case of blue balls, there would be nothing to apologize for. You’re in charge of what happens, OK?”

She pressed her lips together to keep from grinning. _Blue balls indeed._ “Alright,” she agreed. “But only if you agree not to let me become some power-tripping crazy woman.”

Gabriel squeezed his hands on her shoulders. “What if we _want_ you to become some power-tripping crazy woman?” he teased.

“So what are you guys wanting to do today?” Kit asked, wanting to take all the attention off of herself. She turned to Rich and Loki for their response.

“I was just going to bring it up,” Loki said, leaning back in his seat. “If Gabriel doesn’t mind, I’d like for us to take a little trip to the mainland.”

“Which mainland?” Rich asked curiously.

“My mainland,” Loki answered.

Kit’s eyes lit up. “Oh, where you came from?”

Gabriel grinned. “Do I get to tell stories? You know I ran around as you over there for a long time too.”

Loki sighed. “They’d come out anyway, knowing you.” He shot him a look. “But if you say a _word_ about—”

Gabriel’s face fell, and Loki stared at him.

Rich and Kit glanced between them, completely lost.

“About what?” Rich asked.

“Nothing,” Loki said, looking away from them all.

Gabriel made an odd noise and disappeared from the room. Loki growled and muttered, “Dammit” under his breath.

“Loki, if this is about something that happened in your youth,” Rich began.

“It’s not exactly like that,” Loki said. He looked between them both. “It was the first time that Gabriel and I disagreed on how he portrayed me. After the…incident…he and I didn’t speak for five decades.”

“I’m sorry,” Kit said. She couldn’t imagine not speaking to anyone she cared about for a week, much less _fifty years._ How awful for Gabriel and Loki! “It must’ve been a relief when you both reconciled.”

Loki’s eyes seemed far away as he smiled. “It was. We had to do it discreetly, with me hiding from my father, but we made up for lost time by not leaving bed for days. I think our need for each other actually started then, and of course, it became more after Gabriel had his tantrum over Rich.”

“You guys never really speak about your past,” Rich remarked. “Maybe it’ll be good for you to share that with us.” He entwined his fingers with Loki’s. “We should know everything about each other, the good and the bad.”

“It’s a lot to speak of.”

“Don’t have to get it all out in one sitting.”

“You’re persuasive sometimes.”

“I know.”

“I look forward to learning about it too,” Kit said softly. They both turned to her. “That’s one of the reasons I agreed to come here, to really get to know you all.”

“It’s a starting point,” Rich said. He looked around the room. “Gabriel should be here. I hate that he got upset.”

Loki shook his head. “I shouldn’t have brought it up. He still feels guilty. I need to call him back.” Loki stood and walked towards the front door. “I’ll go get him.”

* * *

“Gabriel,” Loki said softly from in front of the lodge. “It’s alright. Come back to me, Angel.”

The wind blew by in answer, and Loki closed his eyes. _Come on, Gabriel. I’ll hold you if you need it,_ he prayed.

There was a whoosh of feathers, and the archangel was in his arms, pressing his face into his neck. Loki put a hand against the back of his angel’s head and wrapped an arm around his back to pull him tight against him.

“Loki,” Gabriel choked out. “I’m sor—”

“No, _I’m_ sorry. I shouldn’t have implied that I was still upset. I forgave you centuries ago for what happened with Skadi**. It’s all me and my ego. We both know that you did the right thing then, just as we do now.”

Gabriel felt himself relax. “We never really talk about those things, do we?”

Loki kissed him on his temple. “We should though, and with our humans.”

Gabriel raised his head and looked at him. “Really?”

“It was Rich’s idea, and Kit seemed to like it too.”

The tension that had remained around Gabriel’s eyes melted away. “I like it too.”

“Then we’ll do that in Norway, Angel.”

Gabriel sought his lips and Loki caught them, and together they kissed tenderly as the wind swirled about them. Gabriel tangled his fingers in Loki’s hair, and the pagan god deepened the kiss.

“Loki,” Gabriel gasped against his mouth. “Want…”

Loki quickly lowered his hands under the archangel’s thighs and lifted him, wrapping his legs around his waist. “Over there,” he murmured, nodding his head towards an embankment at the end of the beach.

Gabriel hummed and swiftly teleported them there, and Loki immediately pressed Gabriel’s back against the short, brown grass that grew on the wall of earth. Gabriel wound an arm around Loki’s shoulders and they attacked each other’s lips greedily and needfully.

Gabriel turned his head and whined. “Now,” he begged and panted, moving his hips. “Please, Loki…”

Loki pulled back and helped Gabriel tug off his shoes and jeans, underwear and all. “So impatient,” he growled.

“So horny,” Gabriel breathed. He licked into Loki’s mouth. “So empty,” he added.

“Fuck, Angel,” Loki moaned. He quickly undid his pants, pushing them down and taking out his weeping cock. “You make yourself ready?”

“Been ready. Fuck me, Loki!”

Loki lined himself up and slid smoothly inside Gabriel, both groaning at finally being connected. Loki set a frenzied pace, ramming himself over and over into Gabriel’s slick, hot hole, and the archangel begged him to go harder and faster.

“Make me cum, Sugar, make me cum! I want it deep in me! Please!”

“You want my cum seeping out of you, Angel? Want it dripping down your thighs for the rest of the day, so you can remember my cock being in you?” Loki gave one jabbing thrust against Gabriel’s prostate and Gabriel threw back his head and shouted.

“Yes! Oh, fuck yes! Make me messy and sticky! Make me… Oh! OH! _OH!_ ” Gabriel’s legs started to shake. “I’m gonna make you— _HOLY FUCK!_ ”

“Forgot I could do that, huh Angel?” Loki said, twirling his magic on the underside of Gabriel’s flared cockhead. “You’re gonna what now?”

Gabriel lowered his head and his eyes glowed. “Th-This…”

Loki pushed forward hard to keep his balance as he felt grace slither inside of him and punch his prostate. “Fuck!” He gripped Gabriel’s hips and started to hammer inside of him, and they focused on who could make the other orgasm first.

Their moans and cries of pleasure were drowned out by the waves hitting the beach, and beads of sweat and the wet, ocean air made their hair and remaining clothes stick to their skin. But neither noticed, they were too intent upon each other.

“Do it, Gabriel! Cum for me!” Loki grit out, slapping his hips against the archangel’s ass violently.

“F-Fuck…” Gabriel tossed his head, holding tightly to Loki’s shoulders. “Oh, fuck, Loki!”

“I haven’t stopped doing it, Angel…” Loki bore down on him harder. “You want it, Gabriel. You want my cum in you. Do it, Gabriel, do it!”

Gabriel surrounded Loki’s prostate with a solid pulse of grace, and Loki went taut as he slammed deep inside of him, exploding with completion. Gabriel’s own peak was triggered by the feeling of his lover’s cum pouring into him, and both seemed to go on forever.

Loki collapsed on top of Gabriel, and they clung to one another through the aftershocks, Gabriel’s spent cock and release caught between them. Dirt and grass stuck to Gabriel’s damp skin and hair, but he was barely aware of it.

God, he and his trickster had needed this.

“This brings back memories,” the archangel whispered, pushing a lock of sweaty hair behind Loki’s ear. “But I seem to remember us doing this in a much comfier place.”

Loki laughed lightly. “It was a bit warmer, too.” He raised his head and gazed down at Gabriel. His angel was happy and sated, with no sign of the distress that had filled his eyes when he had shown up earlier. “And cleaner,” he added, wiping a smudge of dirt from Gabriel’s cheek.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “Cleaner?” He looked down between them, then wriggled his hips and didn’t look regretful at all when it made them both moan. “I seem to recall that it was pretty dirty then too.”

“Brat,” Loki said, leaning down and kissing him. “Either way, we’re both pretty filthy now.”

“I _am_ very sorry, Sugar Lips.” Gabriel traced Loki’s kiss-swollen lips with his thumb. “Forgive me?”

“I forgave you centuries ago, my angel.” Loki took Gabriel’s hand and kissed his palm. “Stop feeling guilty.”

Gabriel smiled then turned his eyes towards the beach. “Wanna take a dip and wash it all off of us?”

Loki’s eyes widened. “It’s cold...”

“And?”

* * *

“You think he’s come back yet?” Kit asked Rich. It had been a good while since Loki had left.

Rich smiled as he handed her a cup of the coffee he had just brewed. “I think Gabriel’s _been_ back, actually.” He went to sit next to her on the couch.

Kit regarded him. “If he has, then why haven’t they…” She trailed off at Rich’s wry smile. “Oh, I see.”

“Don’t be surprised at seeing Gabriel waltzing back in the house like—”

“Hello, my lovelies!”

“—like that,” Rich finished, winking at her.

They both turned to see the archangel standing just inside the mudroom kicking off his shoes. He looked refreshed and was smiling brilliantly. Loki stood behind him, tugging off his own footwear.

“Hi, there!” Kit said, getting to her feet and padding towards him. She set her cup on the kitchen table on the way. “We were wondering when you two would get back.”

Gabriel smiled and came towards her, gripping her waist with his hands. “We just had to talk and work some things out.” He nuzzled her nose and gave her a short kiss. “What have you two been up to?”

Kit noticed that he smelled like saltwater. “Did you guys go swimming?” she asked. She peered over Gabriel’s shoulder at Loki. “Seriously?”

“We needed to clean up,” Loki said simply.

Rich snickered from his seat on the couch. “I bet.”

Kit shook her head. “Won’t you guys get sick?” she asked.

“Not too bad, _if_ we do,” Gabriel said, squeezing her hips.

“Well if you do stay away from me!” she said.

“Why? It would be the same for you too.”

She thunked her head on his chest. “Of course it would.”

Gabriel tilted her head up using his thumb and forefinger on her chin. “Hey now, it’s a perk! We’re basically immune to regular biology.”

“It’ll figure out how to get its way eventually,” she argued. “Just you watch.”

“I’ll be ready for it,” he said confidently, waggling the fingers of his other hand. He then frowned when she didn’t respond. “What?”

“Don’t take things for granted, Gabriel.”

“Kit,” he said, sliding his fingers along the side of her face. “This really does bother you, doesn’t it?”

“Of course it does! I don’t want you...any of you...to… And…”

“OK, Kit, OK,” Gabriel said, cupping the other side of her face. “No more being—”

“Dumb.”

He laughed. “OK, no more being dumb.” He looked over at Loki and Rich, who were watching them closely. “Hear that, guys? No more being dumb!”

“I think that mostly means you,” Loki smirked.

Gabriel blinked. “What?! You jumped in the surf with me too!”

“And I came straight back here. I waited on you for fifteen minutes.”

Kit stared at Gabriel in shock. “You were out in the water for that long?!”

“The cold doesn’t bother me,” he shrugged.

“Dumbass!” she said.

“I won’t do it again!” he promised, lowering his hands and holding on to the sides of her arms. “Remember, no more ‘dumb,’ right?”

She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled.” She gripped his elbows. “Yelling doesn’t help.”

“It’s OK, sweetheart. I’m touched that you care enough to try to rip me a new one,” he joked.

“You’ll be doing that quite often, so it’s best that you’re starting it now I suppose,” Loki said to Kit as he took a seat by Rich. He smirked when Gabriel shot him a glance that could’ve blown up a mountain if he’d wanted. “She needs the practice,” he said in response to the archangel’s actions.

“Hey, you never told us where we’re going,” Rich broke in, stepping in to stop one of Gabriel and Loki’s infamous shouting matches. “Gabriel and I can only stay a couple days though, now that I’m thinking of it.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Kit said, frowning. “You have to call your parents.”

“It’s OK, hon. Loki will still be here,” Gabriel assured her. “We won’t leave you alone.”

Kit exchanged a glance with Loki, and she smiled at the warmth in his eyes. “Yeah,” she said.

“So…” Rich said, getting back to the topic he brought up. “What’s the plan, Loki?”

Loki hadn’t broken his gaze with Kit. “It involves whale song…”

* * *

_**Fictional World - Trondheim, Norway** _

With a flutter of wings, the quad appeared in the city of Trondheim, Norway. Kit stumbled against Loki, who steadied her quickly. She and Rich scanned their surroundings, then craned their heads up at the building before them.

It was a massive gothic cathedral, well over 300 feet tall. From their position, they could see numerous intricate carvings and sculptures, all depicting the creation of life: angels, animals, even masks and gargoyles.

It was an astounding sight.

“It’s called the Nidaros Cathedral, the northernmost church in the world,” Loki explained. “I was here when it was nothing but a little wooden chapel built for the tomb of some Viking king nearly a thousand years ago. It was…interesting, seeing it become what it is now.”

Kit marveled at the building. “Are we allowed to go inside?” she asked. She took a couple of steps forward and placed her hand above her eyes to look towards its main tower. “Are we allowed to go there too?”

“We can look anywhere we want, and this is only one of the many places I want to take you and Rich to see in the city,” Loki answered. He held out his arm and Kit excitedly took it. He turned to Gabriel and saw that Rich had offered his own arm to the archangel.

“Shall we?” he said.

They spent the entire afternoon inside the cathedral, viewing its ancient stained-glass windows and exploring the shrine and alters. There was a vault that was only accessible via a steep, narrow staircase that contained a crypt with marbled gravestones, but Rich and Kit were wary so they decided to bypass it.

They ascended the tower, and Kit felt like a kid as she counted the 172 steps to the top. They were treated to a panoramic view of all of Trondheim and watched as the sun set.

Without realizing it, they had all cuddled together. Loki stood behind Kit and wrapped his arms about her waist. Gabriel did the same to Rich next to them. They drew near one another until they all touched, and it felt as natural as breathing.

As the shadows lengthened, Kit turned her head and widened her eyes. They were all so close to her! “Oh!” she said, and they all looked at her. She felt herself blush. “The-The sun has gone down,” she said.

“You’re observant,” Rich teased.

“Are we going to go now?” she said, ignoring him.

“I’ve made reservations for a place to stay,” Loki said, removing his arms from her. Gabriel and Rich moved aside at the same time. “We can get dinner at the restaurant there as well.”

“Sounds good to me!” Gabriel said. “Haven’t had any Fårikål*** in ages!”

“What the hell is that?” Rich said, following him towards the stairs.

“Oh, you’ll see,” Gabriel called over his shoulder.

Kit gave Loki a questioning look. “Remind him to use mouthwash,” was all he said.

* * *

They all sat around the table at the hotel’s restaurant, and Gabriel enthusiastically ordered without even glancing at the menu. Rich and Kit, not knowing how to read Norwegian, referred to Loki, who patiently helped them choose what to have for their meal.

When the waiter walked away, Rich turned to Gabriel in puzzlement. “If everyone here are characters, wouldn’t they choose _not_ to act in-character?”

“Some like it. It’s a job to them, in a way. They don’t do it everyday, though. Sometimes you go places and have to do things on your own.” He grinned at Loki across the table from him. “Remember when we went on the cruise ship and it was completely deserted?”

Loki sighed. “Yes, and if I recall correctly, you left the galley in shambles from trying to make noodles from scratch.” He looked over at Rich and Kit. “There was flour everywhere, and he refused to use grace to figure out why he was having so much difficulty in getting the process right.”

“I wanted it to be authentic!” Gabriel insisted. “What’s the point of bolognese if the noodles are from a box?!”

“So you had no problems with the sauce, at least?” Kit asked. She giggled as the archangel turned away. “Oh, is there a story there too?”

“Not really. Loki took pity on me when I finally got the noodles right and helped me make it,” he said, smiling while looking sideways at the trickster. “I let him have the leftovers the next day as a thank you.”

“Is this why you got all into cooking when we first came back?” Rich asked. He had been amused at the archangel’s sudden interest in cooking shows and need for nearly every cookbook he ran across when they were out shopping. He thought it was just because Gabriel had found a hobby, but now he realized that Gabriel actually had a passion for it. “You should’ve told me. I would’ve indulged you more.”

“You enjoying my food indulges me enough, Baby,” Gabriel said, then moved back as the waiter returned with their drinks.

“There’s so much to learn about this world,” Kit commented after they received their wine. She smelled the deep bouquet of the beverage and hesitated. “Will I get drunk here?”

“Nah, not in this world anyway. Some worlds you can though.” Gabriel downed his glass. “Hmm, not bad.”

Kit sipped her drink. “Wow, this is really good.”

“Wait until you’ve eaten the food.”

* * *

Kit was sorta relieved to see that Loki had gotten a room with two queen beds. She looked at Gabriel, who nodded, letting her know that he’d share one with her. She felt most comfortable with him at the moment.

They settled down for the night, exchanging hugs like the night before, and she sighed in contentment when Gabriel spooned her from behind. “I’m gonna hold you like this all night, Beautiful,” he said softly into her ear.

“I like that,” she said.

“Shh!” Loki said from the other bed.

“You’re doing the same with Rich, so shut up,” Gabriel grumbled.

Rich sighed softly. “I’ll be glad when we all get to cuddle together.”

Kit smiled. She had to admit, after being so close to one another at the tower, she was beginning to think that maybe she was starting to feel that way too.

* * *

The next day Loki took them on a personal tour of the city. There were cobblestoned streets that held eateries where they dined and listened to more tales about past adventures of the archangel and pagan god. Some were humorous, others bizarre. One even had Loki and Gabriel arguing over who had remembered certain details correctly. That had ended up with Rich getting involved and throwing water in the characters’ faces to cool them off. Kit had burst out laughing, and her laughter had made them both forget what they’d been arguing about.

The rest of the day was spent walking along the river hand-in-hand, and they switched out with each other. It was a beautiful, ancient city, and Loki’s knowledge of it was impressive. Kit was enthralled, and felt a little sad when they had to return to the hotel for the night.

They visited the museum located by the cathedral the next day. It displayed more sculptures from the cathedral and contained coins that were minted and stamped onsite many centuries ago. Loki had to threaten Gabriel with violence to remain quiet as they viewed and admired the artifacts. Kit eventually took Gabriel’s hand and led him around like a child to keep him from getting into trouble and invoking Loki’s wrath.

Once they were outside after exploring for a handful of hours, Gabriel sadly turned to them. “Well, you know what happens now.”

“Already?” Kit said, looking anxiously between him and Rich. “But—”

“It’s already been about two or three days Earthside, sweetheart. We gotta.”

She couldn’t help the resigned expression that came over her face. “I understand, but please stay safe while you’re over there, and don’t be gone long.”

“Trust me, Peaches, we don’t want to be apart from you guys for a moment,” he said, reaching out and caressing her face. She leaned into his palm and closed her eyes, wishing that they could all hide away from their troubles in this place forever.

With obvious effort, he pulled away and looked over at Rich. “I suppose we’ll be heading to the Moon here to cross back.”

Rich stared at him. “Is it the same as the other way?”

“More or less. You think you’ll be OK this time? I’ll carry you if you want to stay close with me, Baby,” Gabriel said.

Rich pondered Gabriel’s offer, tension apparent around his eyes. “Y-Yeah, I think that’ll be best, actually.”

“I’ll take care of you, Love,” Gabriel said, walking to him and hugging him close. “I’ll make it as quick as possible, OK? And it’ll be the same on the way back.”

“Thank you,” Rich said.

Kit smiled softly at how tender they were being with each other. It was so open, so caring. She felt drawn to them, and a part of her wanted to comfort Rich too.

She jumped slightly when she felt a hand grip her arm. She turned her head to see Loki at her side.

“Go,” he said.

She tilted her head in confusion.

He glanced over at Rich and Gabriel, who were murmuring softly to one another, then back to her. “Go,” he said once more.

She shook her head. She couldn’t get in between their private moment. What was he thinking?

Loki sighed and leaned towards her. “If you feel that you should do something, do it. I won’t force you, but I strongly suggest that you try to, Kit.” He ran his hand down her arm. “Don’t fight your feelings.”

Kit’s eyes widened at his words. Was that what she was doing? She hadn’t fought them with Gabriel, and now they both were so open with each other that she was breathing easier with him just being around her. Maybe…Maybe Loki was right.

She felt Loki’s eyes on her when she began walking towards Rich and Gabriel. They both paused and turned her way as she approached, and she did what she was compelled to do.

“I thought I could join in. You look like you need another hugging buddy,” she said, opening her arms. She gave a soft “Oof!” as she was dragged into their arms, and she melted into them.

“Thank you, Kit,” Rich whispered, leaning his head to her shoulder. “Means more than you know.”

“You’ll be OK, Rich,” she whispered back. “Gabriel will take care of you.”

Loki had followed right behind Kit and embraced them from the other side. “He knows if he doesn’t I’ll spank him,” he said half-seriously.

“Loki,” Rich sighed as Loki tightened his hold around them all.

“I take offense to that comment,” Gabriel griped.

“Fine, I'll spank you when you get back anyway.”

Gabriel made a pleased noise. “That’s more like it.”

“I’m in for it, aren’t I?” Kit smiled into Rich’s neck, knowing his answer already.

Rich chuckled. “Oh, Kitty, you have _no_ idea…”

They all held each other for a moment longer, then reluctantly pulled apart.

“Come back soon,” Kit said, standing beside Loki.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep us safe,” Gabriel said.

“Don’t let Rich go while you’re in the portal,” she said worriedly.

“You’ve got my word,” he promised.

“Do I get a hug goodbye?” Rich asked from beside them.

Kit faced him and nodded as she accepted his embrace. “So many hugs today! But you know you’ll get one.”

Rich leaned his head near hers and spoke into her ear. “When I get back, I hope that I get a kiss too, Kitty.”

Kit pulled back in surprise. Rich just gave her a warm smile and stepped away to say goodbye to Loki.

She turned back to Gabriel, who grabbed her by the waist and placed his hand under her head. He then dipped her and gave her a deep, thrilling kiss. She felt her head spin and raised her hands to hold on to his arms tightly.

When Gabriel swung her back to her feet, she panted as they looked into each other’s eyes. “Wha—”

“Just saying ‘goodbye,’ sweetheart,” he said. He winked and kissed her sweetly again. “See you soon.”

She watched him turn away and tap on Rich’s shoulder. The human man was lost in a kiss with Loki. It took a few more taps before the two parted, then Gabriel and Loki tenderly said goodbye with a lingering kiss as well.

Shortly after Gabriel and Rich disappeared with the sound of bird’s wings, Loki stood by her side.

“Would you like to go on a streetcar ride?” he asked, placing his hand on the small of her back.

She realized that she hadn’t moved from where she’d been standing since Gabriel had kissed her. “Uh, yeah.” She turned her head to look up at Loki. “I’d like that.”

* * *

_**Earth: Montana** _

Gabriel appeared kneeling on the ground in the backyard of their home, wings spread wide in the air around him. Rich was held securely in his arms, and like he’d promised, he had carried his lover through the portal, comforting him when he had panicked once more.

“We’re here, Baby,” he soothed, rocking him gently. “We’re here.” He waited patiently for Rich to stop shaking, kissing his face, whispering softly. Rich had done better this time, but Gabriel hated the fact that this affected his lover so badly. He hoped that the Fourth Wall would be fixed soon.

“I’m OK,” he heard Rich say softly after a short while. Gabriel looked into Rich’s face to see him gazing at him with tired eyes. “I’m OK, Gabriel.”

“OK, sweetheart,” Gabriel said. He slowly stood and carefully helped Rich stand on his feet. “Let’s go inside, get you some water.”

They went into the house and Gabriel led Rich to the couch. “I’ll grab your drink while you make that call,” he said.

Rich took his cell from the charger and looked at his notifications. He frowned when he saw a text from an unknown number from the day before which simply said, “Is this Rich?” He debated on ignoring it, then shrugged and sent back, “Who wants to know?”

He next dialed up his parents and let them know that he’d be hard to get in touch with for another week or so but he’d do his best to call at least once. It was the closest to the truth that he could manage.

His phone _dinged!_ when he let them go, and he saw that he’d gotten a reply to his message:

┃Not sure if it’s safe to say this or not, but if you’re you, tell me something that proves that you are you.

What the hell? He immediately sent a text back.

┃OK, not funny. Blocking.

Not even a couple of seconds after he’d sent the message, the phone began to ring. Rich stared at it incredulously. Did this whackjob _really_ think that he’d answer?

He jumped when Gabriel’s hand touched his shoulder. “Gonna get that?” he asked. He was holding the glass of water he’d offered to fetch for him.

Rich shook his head, and was just about to decline the call when it went to voicemail. He looked at his phone, then decided to put it down so he could accept the glass from Gabriel instead. “Thank you.”

“What was that all about anyway?” Gabriel asked, coming to sit next to him.

“Some weirdos, asking even weirder questions,” Rich said, taking a few sips from his drink. “Must’ve hacked records or something to get my number. I’ll report it later. Too many other important things going on.”

Gabriel nodded, settling back on the couch and placing his hand on Rich’s knee. “Things sorted with your parents?”

Rich nodded. “Yep. I’m thinking we’ll come back once more in a few weeks, and that should be OK.” He leaned his head on the back of the couch. “I’m wiped.”

“We’ll stay for a couple days before heading back. You need to rest a little.”

“I don’t want them to have to wait on us for too long,” Rich said, turning his head.

“It won’t be long for them, you know that. Besides, if we came back and you’re a mess, I’d get hell for it!” Gabriel placed his lips against Rich’s brow then got up and headed towards the fridge. “We had a light breakfast. You want some lunch?”

Rich smiled. “Sure.”

“Looks like all we have is…” He scanned the inside of the fridge. “Huh, leftover takeout.” He reached in and opened one of the containers and took a sniff. “Ugh, these need to go.” He grabbed the trashcan and started chunking them. “I might need to grace us some food.”

“Whatever you want, Gabriel,” Rich said, still drinking his water. He nearly dropped his glass when a plate containing a sandwich and potato chips appeared in his lap. “Crap! Warn me next time!”

“Sorry! Just eat up, OK?”

“Alright. Thanks.”

* * *

While Rich ate, Gabriel decided to clean out the fridge and pantry, not being able to stand the thought of microorganisms growing in _his_ kitchen. He then went ahead and, as was his habit, made a grocery list for later, mentally picking on himself for acclimating to domestic life so smoothly and easily.

But he liked it, and that’s what mattered most to him.

He saw Rich set his plate to the side and pick his phone up again. “Who you calling now?”

“That caller left a voicemail.”

Gabriel put his pen down. “I want to hear it too.”

Rich nodded and turned as he put his phone on speaker, starting the message.

_”If this is who I hope it is... This is…”_ There was a sigh. _”Moose... Come on man... It's not a joke…”_

Rich’s and Gabriel’s heads jerked towards one another. “Was that?” Rich asked.

Gabriel stood and came to stand by the couch. “No mistake. Call him back!”

Rich quickly did so, but it rang and rang. He tried calling back three more times, but no one picked up.

“That _was_ Sam! We both recognized his voice!” Rich insisted. He turned his phone in his hand over and over. “The text he sent. He asked me to prove that I was who I was. What did he mean?”

Gabriel shook his head, then went and pressed his palm against the front door. Rich’s eyes widened as grace flowed from his hand and spread through the walls, ceilings, and floors of the house. “Gabriel?”

“I don't like it. The Winchesters, and most likely my brother, are trying to contact us for some reason. Sam wouldn't be so cryptic unless they knew it was something shitty. I'm not taking any chances of the shitty getting in here.”

“So we're stuck here for the time being?” Rich asked, tossing his phone on the couch.

Gabriel faced Rich and crossed his arms. “I'm taking precautions.” He gave Rich a reassuring look. “I'll get us back to them, don't you worry.”

Rich flopped onto his back. “Don't worry? Sure! Nothing to worry about at all! When do I ever have nothing to worry about?”

“Alrighty, time for little humans to take a nap.” Gabriel made his way back and leaned over the couch so he could pick up Rich to take him to their bedroom.

“Put me down, Gabriel!” Rich protested, squirming in the archangel’s hold.

But Gabriel just held him closer and shook his head. “Nope. I'm gonna lay you down and make sure you go to sleep.”

“What is with you and Loki—”

“Because if we don't make you rest, who will,” Gabriel said, opening their bedroom door and stepping through. He walked across the room and laid Rich in the middle of the bed. “You push yourself too hard sometimes, Love,” he said, gazing down at his human, worry evident in his voice.

Rich looked up at Gabriel. “...sorry.”

Gabriel crawled on the bed and snuggled next to him. “Don't apologize for being who you are.”

They wrapped their arms around each other, Rich resting his head upon Gabriel’s chest. “I love you, Rich. Don't change. I like taking care of you,” Gabriel said.

Rich sighed and closed his eyes. “I love you too. Thank you...for taking care of me.”

Gabriel kissed his hair. “Sweet dreams, Baby. I'll be right here when you wake up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * I know that my fic is set in 2013, but I took a bit of creative license and used the 2019 Good Omens series version of Crowley here (at least appearance-wise). 
> 
> ** In Norse mythology, Skadi was the daughter of a Jotunn and was demanding retribution for his death from the Aesir. The Aesir wanted peace and offered her gold, but she had all the wealth she desired, so instead decided on a more "suitable" gift: making her laugh. Loki had a goat brought in, took off his clothes, and tied one end of the rope to his testicles and the other end to the goat's beard. The goat leapt about the room and dragged Loki behind him, making Skadi laugh and fulfilling her request.
> 
> *** Fårikål is a traditional Norwegian dish consisting of pieces of mutton with bone, cabbage, whole black pepper and often a little wheat flour, cooked for several hours in a casserole, and usually served with potatoes boiled in their skins.


	8. Heard Through The Wall part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait between chapters. Am participating in a fic exchange, as well as working on other WIPs. 
> 
> Enjoy yet another long chapter.
> 
> Warning: There's a bit of violence in this one, so heed the tags y'all.

_**Fictional World - Trondheim, Norway** _

The streetcar tour livened Kit’s spirits. They journeyed around the city center, and she listened avidly as Loki told her all about the little wooden houses painted in brilliant colors that stood out vividly against the rest of the city.

They also viewed fortifications dating back to the 16th Century, and she was delighted when the tour also took them out to the countryside. She and Loki enjoyed the peace and quiet, and she didn’t object when he took her hand into his own halfway back to the city.

That night he sat in a chair by her bed until she fell asleep, just like he had done back in the house on Earth when she’d been scared to be alone. She was touched by his thoughtfulness since Gabriel was gone with Rich.

The next morning over breakfast, he announced that they were taking a cable car to the coast.

“The coast?” she asked, spreading raspberry jam onto a piece of toast.

His eyes twinkled at her. “It’s a bit of a trip, but I think you’ll like it.”

“I’ve liked everything else so far, so I have no reason to think otherwise.” She lifted her toast to her mouth and took a bite. “Are we going to the beach?” she asked after swallowing. She licked the crumbs from her lips. “It’s too cold to go swimming, isn’t it?”

Loki cleared his throat. “No, no swimming.”

“Oh! Is it? Are we…?” Her face beamed with delight. “Oh Loki! Today is the day, isn’t it?!” She dropped her food on her plate and wiped her hands with her napkin. “Can we go now?”

He shook his head. “It’s not a short trip. You should eat, Kit,” he said, pointing at her plate.

She pouted and went back to her food. “I hate waiting,” she mumbled.

“The cable car won’t leave until it’s scheduled to leave, regardless of how early we arrive,” Loki said, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips at her behavior.

She sighed and poked at her food with her fork. “I know…”

“Come on, finish your food. We’ll walk slowly on the way to the station to help kill time.”

* * *

They were traveling to the village of Titran on the island of Frøya. It would take them a good hour and a half to reach their destination, and cable car was the quickest way. Thankfully Kit was one of those people who fell asleep easily on long trips. They were twenty minutes in when she nodded off on Loki’s shoulder. He’d quietly clicked his fingers and removed his suit jacket so he could cover her with it, and then smiled when she had snuggled up to him. He hadn’t hesitated to wrap his arm around her to hold her against him.

When they were ten minutes or so out, Loki gently ran a finger down her face. “Kit,” he said softly.

“Mmm,” she said, moving away from his touch.

“Wake up,” he said.

“Nuh-uh.”

“We’re almost there,” he insisted, brushing his thumb over her cheek. “You need to wake up, Kit.”

“Want to stay right here.” She pulled his jacket up over her face.

Loki sighed, then snapped his jacket away. “You’re as bad as Gabriel.”

“Ugh!” Kit complained, turning her face into his shoulder. “Why’d you do that?”

“Because we’re going to have to get up and walk out of here soon,” Loki said.

She righted herself and scrubbed at her face with her hands. “Why’d you let me sleep the whole way? I feel icky now.” She moved her tongue around the inside of her cheeks and made a face. “Eeeww…”

Loki quickly looked away. “Here,” he said, squeezing his hand, then flicking it open to reveal a piece of peppermint candy.

“Oh! Thank you!” she said, taking it. “Don’t want someone to keel over because of me polluting the environment with my breath!”

Loki snickered and she shot him a look. “You said it!” he said in his defense.

“You’re lucky that I like you,” she said, popping the peppermint in her mouth. The cable car lurched to a stop and she stood. “Let’s go!” she said, smiling brightly.

He stared off after her for a moment, then followed.

* * *

It was a short boat trip to the specific beach that Loki had chosen. Kit was so excited that she was literally bouncing in her seat the whole way, and Loki watched her from the corner of his eye as she sat beside him.

“Will we be able to see them very well?” she asked.

“I’ve got it handled,” he said.

She turned her head. “How?”

He smiled. “You’ll see.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you were excited too, Loki,” she said, smiling back. She crossed her hands in her lap and turned her face forward. “Interesting.”

“Hmm,” Loki hummed. They remained in silence the rest of the way, and when the boat docked, Kit ran ahead of him to the beach.

“It’s so beautiful!” she exclaimed, looking at the deep blue water and cresting waves. The salty, briny tang of the ocean was sharp in the air, and the wind off the water was cool on their faces. “I love the sea!”

Loki gazed at her. She looked so _alive_ , standing with the North Atlantic as her backdrop. It made it hard for him to think, and only two others in his long life had ever done the same to him.

He strode forward and took her hand. “Look,” he said, pointing out into the distance. He sent a tendril of his magic through their joined hands. “You should be able to see them going by.”

* * *

Kit focused her eyes in the direction he indicated, then gasped. Whales! Breaching humpback whales! A whole pod of them! They were so beautiful, so majestic! Everything and more than what she’d hoped for!

“Loki, I—” She cut off when a sound reached her ears. Was that? She covered her mouth with her hand when she realized that she was hearing whale song. Tears filled her eyes. This was almost too much. She let the sounds fill her, and the more she did, the more she cried.

She didn’t know how long she stood there being overwhelmed by what she was seeing and hearing, but when she heard Loki say her name, she turned and threw herself into his arms.

“Thank you,” she said, sobbing tears of joy. “Oh thank you, Loki.”

Loki held her tightly to him. “I promised you, didn’t I?” he said softly. He pulled back and looked into her eyes. “Don’t cry.”

She felt drawn to him, felt like she could drown in his dark, amber gaze. She was feeling an intense, overwhelming desire to be close to him. It was Loki, and like with Gabriel, she knew that she wouldn’t regret it.

They were taking over her, these men, these feelings.

"You did this—all of this—for me?" she asked, reaching up a hand to push several locks of hair out of Loki’s eyes. The wind kept blowing it about his face. “Why me, Loki?”

“It was because of you,” Loki said softly, resting his head against hers. “I wanted to.”

Their eyes locked, neither able to look away. Kit slowly pushed herself forward and threaded her fingers into his hair. Loki lowered his head, and when their lips met, they both shuddered at the thrill that raced through them and closed their eyes. It was long, passionate, delicate. Soft, wet, gentle.

When they pulled back, their eyes opened and they stared at one another, not sure if what they had just done was real.

They spoke at the same time:

“Kit—”

“Loki—”

They sighed, their gazes still locked upon one another.

Loki then kissed her softly and Kit smiled against his lips. “Kit,” he whispered. “Can I have you?”

Her breath caught.

He moved his head and trailed his lips down her neck. “Want to taste you…” _Kiss._ "Please you..."

Kit tightened her fingers in his hair and moaned. “O-Only if you let me do the same to you…” she gasped.

Loki groaned against her skin, then swooped down to pick her up under the knees with one arm while holding her back with the other. He looked up and down the beach and sighed with relief when he saw the lone lighthouse a handful of yards away. He quickly made his way towards it, and nearly kicked in the white cast iron door in his haste to get inside.

He ascended the steps to the top swiftly and carefully, and when he reached the landing, he looked around and made a split-second decision in conjuring the control room into a loft-style apartment bedroom.

He placed Kit down upon the bed he’d magicked into existence, and looked down at her.

“Are you certain?” he said, his hands aching to touch her. “We don’t have to—”

She wrapped a hand around his tie and tugged him down towards her, gripping his wrist so she could place his hand upon her chest. “Loki,” she said, breathing harshly. “Touch me.”

He groaned and crushed his mouth to hers as he palmed her breast. She arched beneath him, pressing into his hand. She opened her mouth to him, and he delved right in without any prompting, and Kit got her first taste of Loki’s wicked tongue. It was quick, twisty, did things she never realized existed. She had to pull away to breathe and he was _still_ playing within her mouth.

“Loki,” she panted, then mewled when his hands started to tug her clothes off. “Loki…”

“Need you naked,” he growled. “Want to see you.” He took his lips from hers and sat back on his knees, pulling her up to sit before divesting them both of their clothes so quickly that she was surprised that they weren’t ripped to shreds. “Oh Kit, look at you…”

 _Look at **you** ,_ she thought. Just as she’d expected, Loki’s frame was an exact replica of Gabriel’s, and she shivered at the sight of his cock standing hard and erect between his thighs. It was weeping precum, and she licked her lips, wondering what he tasted like. She’d not gotten the chance with an overzealous archangel a few days prior.

Did they all taste the same?

“You wanna play with it?”

She shot her eyes up at him. “Wh-What?”

He grasped himself. “I saw you looking. You were thinking of touching it, weren’t you?” He ran his fingers lightly over the base. “You wanting to compare me and Gabriel?”

She shook her head. “I can’t. I never got around to touching his.” Her eyes widened. “I mean…” She covered her face as she felt her skin redden. “Oh hell.”

He reached forward and took her hands away. “No need to be embarrassed in the bedroom. Any and all things allowed here.” He gave her a filthy grin. “And I mean anything.”

He took her hand and laid it on his cock. “Touch it. Get to know it. Play with it.” He moved her hand up and down his length and moaned. “Play with me, Kit.”

She watched as her hand moved under his, and when they had a steady rhythm, he removed his hand and she took over for herself with gusto. Loki happily spread his legs out on either side of her and looked on, pushing his hips into her fist.

“Fuck, Kit. Want your mouth,” he groaned, tossing his head back.

Kit eagerly moved forward. Loki’s precum had been flowing since she had put her hand on him. She wrapped her lips around his cockhead and sucked, and moaned at how sweet he tasted. She’d never tasted any man who was sweet before.

He jerked when she twisted her hand on the upstroke of his shaft, causing another blurt of precum to flow on her tongue. The look on her face reminded him of the analogy of the cat getting the cream, and he found it perfectly fitting.

“Keep doing that and I’ll cum down your throat,” Loki warned, gritting his teeth.

She stilled her movements and took her mouth off him. “Really?” she said, looking up at him. He saw that her face was flushed and her lips were swollen and red. “Would that be so bad?”

He growled and grabbed her shoulders to roll her beneath him. “Another time? Not really. But this time, my little cat, my _Kitten_ ”—he smirked at the surprised look in her eyes—“I want to cum in you.”

He kissed down her neck to her breasts and latched on to one of her nipples. She cried out and tangled her fingers in his hair. He ran his hand down her stomach and slipped two fingers inside of her and moaned at finding her dripping wet for him already. He pumped them vigorously within her, wanting to get her off before he took her.

“Loki!” She writhed beneath him. His tongue on her, his fingers, were driving her insane. “Please!”

He released her nipple. “This make you hot, Kitten?” he asked. He switched to her other breast and thrust another finger inside of her, curling them hard against her g-spot.

She pulled his hair tight between her fingers. “YES!” she cried, feeling her thighs quake around his hand as she crashed over. “YES YES YES!”

Loki worked her with his hand until his fingers were drenched, then slowly brought her down. He slid his fingers from her as he popped her nipple from his mouth, then brought his hand to her lips.

“Wanna share?” he asked conversationally.

She was panting and gasping, but nodded anyway. Loki held his fingers between their mouths, and together they licked his digits clean of her fluids. She’d never done such a thing before, but she had to agree with Gabriel: she did taste faintly of peaches.

Loki was moaning. “Your pussy tastes so good, Kitten. I’m guessing Gabriel has a new treat now, doesn't he?” He leaned forward and kissed her deeply, and Kit whimpered into his mouth. “Can’t wait to get my cock deep inside you now.”

 _Oh hell,_ Kit thought. Their dirty mouths were almost too much for her. She didn’t know if she could handle it if Rich were the same way.

Loki rolled to his back, then had her climb on top and face away from him. “I wanna see my cock moving in and out of you,” he explained when she gave him a questioning look. She placed her knees on either side of his hips, then felt his hands touch her own hips to help position her over his shaft.

“Nice and slow, Kit. Wanna see you swallow my dick,” Loki breathed when he started to lower her onto him. They both groaned and shuddered as Kit’s body engulfed him. He spread her walls, stretched her, and when he rested deep within her, the angle they had chosen had him bumping just against her womb.

“You OK, Kit? You’ve gone quiet,” Loki said, gripping her sides tight. He didn’t move.

“D-Deep,” she gasped. “You… Gabriel… So deep…”

“You feel so good, Kit…” he moaned. “Ride my cock…”

She raised herself until he was only halfway inside her, then sat back down in one smooth motion. The friction left them both gasping and wanting more. Loki dug his fingers into her pelvis and started to direct her movements.

“Hang on for the ride, Kitten,” he said, then raised his knees and began to fuck her senseless.

Kit reached out to hold on to Loki’s bent legs to steady herself as Loki rammed himself inside of her again and again. She screamed and wailed as he caused waves of pleasure to course through and over her.

“Shit! Your pussy is sucking me in, Kit! It never wants my cock to leave it!” Loki called out from behind her. “Such a good little pussy! Gabriel and I will have to share it!”

Kit moaned loudly. She was so full already…but the thought of both Gabriel and Loki inside her…it made her feel even wetter.

Loki watched as his cock disappeared in and out of Kit’s wet, swollen folds. Their genitals glistened with both their arousals. And the sounds they made! They were so obscene it was music to his ears and the moans that accompanied them just heightened his pleasure.

He moved one of his hands down to touch where they joined, and she cried out. “Loki!”

“So wet down here, Kitten,” he groaned, coating his fingers, not stilling in his thrusts. He ran them up to her tight, wrinkled bud and rested them against it. “Could use some here, hmm?”

Kit stiffened, and Loki stopped all movement.

“Kit?”

She tried to move her hips, to get them back to what they were doing to avoid his question, but he held tight to her with his other hand. “Kit?” he asked again.

She stayed quiet.

Loki massaged her hip. “Not a backdoor person?”

“Umm…”

“It’s OK if you’re not, Kitten.”

Kit felt herself smile at his continued use of the newfound pet name. “It’s not that.”

Loki rubbed circles into her side. “Never tried it?”

She nodded against his leg.

“Wanna try it now?” he offered.

She turned her head to the side and looked at him. “Seriously?”

“Just looking at your ass is making my mouth water. Of course, I’m serious,” Loki said, staring hard at her.

“What do we need to do?” she asked.

Loki lifted her off of him, and she moaned at feeling him exit from inside her. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll be inside you again soon, Kitten.”

He moved her forward onto her hands and knees, then spread her legs wide for him. He nuzzled her ass, encouraging her to relax. “Lean down if it makes you more comfortable, Kit,” he told her.

She decided to do so, then shuddered when she felt him part her cheeks.

“You’re so pink, Kit. Gonna have so much fun playing with your ass,” he said. He then shoved two fingers inside of her wet channel and circled them around, gathering her fluids, and closed his eyes listening to her moans. “Hmm, gonna use your pussy cum to open you up for me.”

“Loki…” she whimpered, and moved her hips with his hand. “Wanna cum…”

“You will, Kitten, you will…” he promised. He leaned forward and licked her furled hole. “Mmm, taste divine here too.”

Kit gasped. She didn’t know that she was so sensitive. “A-Again, Loki…”

Another long lick and she was moaning into the bed. “Keep going, please, Loki,” she begged.

And Loki did. He was a master at his craft. He used his skilled tongue, his fingers, to work her open deliciously. He had her beating her fist against the mattress in frustration as he prepared her for his cock. He kept her on edge, using his other hand on her clit and massaging her g-spot as he sucked her rim.

When he had her stretched on four fingers, and had teased her until she was cursing his name, he deemed her ready.

“Fucking finally,” she whined. She was barely able to keep from falling to the bed completely.

Loki kissed the small of her back as he slowly removed his fingers. He slicked up his cock using his magic, then leaned back down to sit on the bed. He reached forward and took Kit by the hips and hovered her over his cock.

“If it becomes too much, I’ll stop,” he promised her.

“I know,” she said softly, shivering in anticipation.

Gritting his teeth, Loki dropped her slowly onto his cock. He was taking her virgin ass for his own, and the thought was nearly driving him mad. He felt his cockhead pop in past the ring and stopped, hearing her take a deep breath. He ran a hand along her side, then pushed her down slowly, little by little, closing his eyes at how exquisitely tight she was.

He didn’t know how he wasn’t blowing his load already.

He almost fell over backwards when he was completely inside of her. She was doing her best to stay upright.

“Still with me?” he said, hearing how hoarse he sounded.

“Yes,” she croaked.

“We can stop right here. Go back to what we were doing before.”

“N-No… I want to finish.”

Loki laid his forehead on Kit’s shoulder. “You have no idea how happy that makes me, Kit.”

He straightened his back, placed a kiss on the back of Kit’s neck, then started to move her slowly up and down, letting her get used to the feel of his cock in her ass. He sent out his magic and wrapped it tightly around her nipples and clit, sending jolts of pleasure through her.

Soon they were both shouting and moaning, the bed was bouncing up and down on the floor, his hips thrusting up into her. Kit was gripping his forearms as if her life depended on it, shattering over and over from Loki’s ministrations. The windows of the lighthouse’s top floor were steamed up from their exertions, the smell of sex making them feel dizzy.

“Cum for me again, Kitten!” Loki shouted, intensifying his pleasuring of her. “One more time and I’ll cum in your ass!”

Those words did Kit in and she was clenching so tightly around Loki that he pumped himself into Kit with a strangled shout. He wrapped his arms around her shaking torso and flopped them both to their sides, and they spent several minutes basking in their afterglow.

He pulled himself from her, then with a wave of his hand, cleaned them both up along with the bed. He also decided that they would spend the night in the lighthouse as well. After tucking them both in, he turned her to face him and held her close, placing a hand on the back of her head.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Loki kissed her temple. “For what?” he asked in amusement. “Anal sex?”

“No!” she said, slapping his chest. “Well, I guess yes, but...” She gave him an exasperated look before smiling. “Thank you for today. It meant so much to me.”

Loki pulled her face to his and kissed her gently. “Anything for you, Kit.”

* * *

_**Earth: Montana** _

Rich was walking by the couch with a cup of coffee in his hand when he heard his phone make a text notification sound. He quickly picked it up and opened it, and was relieved to see that it was from the same unknown number as the day before.

┃please, just let us know this is you - Moose

“Is that Sam?” Gabriel asked, coming up to look over his shoulder. He had a muffin in his hand and was now sans the beard he had started growing. He’d caved and used one of Loki’s razors. “I was hoping he’d try to get back in touch again.”

“What do I say?” Rich asked.

“Let me,” Gabriel said, holding out his hand. Rich gave him his phone, and Gabriel quickly typed in a response.

┃I am the performer of two hot and incredibly sexy guys

┃Gabriel?

┃the one and only

The phone rang almost immediately after, and Gabriel handed it back to Rich.

“Sam?” Rich put the phone on speaker. “Is it you?”

“Rich! Thank God! You have no idea how good it is to hear your voice!”

“Whoa, OK, OK…” Gabriel said, not liking how Sam sounded. “What’s going on? Why all the secret code talk?”

“Well, we followed you guys after you left—”

“So we heard.”

“Really? And do you all know about the portals too?” Sam sounded hopeful.

“More than you know,” Rich said, deciding to sit down on the couch. “Where are you guys? With Dean?”

“I think it might be best for you to tell your side first. We’re just gonna keep going back and forth at this rate.”

The next fifteen minutes were spent explaining to Sam about the events of the past month or so. Sam listened and only asked a few clarifying questions.

“So Kit, she’s part of you guys too, huh?” Sam said after Rich and Gabriel finished. He sounded awed.

“Yeah. We’re still a little bowled over about it ourselves,” Rich replied.

“Not planning on starting a little commune up there in Montana, are you?” someone snarked playfully.

“Ha ha, Dean. You’re just jealous because you don’t have three sexy people to warm your bed up at night with,” Gabriel shot back.

“So you _are_ with Dean,” Rich said. He rolled his eyes at Gabriel, who put his hands behind his head from his seat next to him. “Where are you guys anyway? Is Cas there too?”

“We’re currently in an unoccupied booth at a large coffee shop,” Cas’ gravelly voice answered. “We’ve not had to move for a long time now, which makes me happy.” There were the sounds of Dean snickering. “Now that we know about the Odium, it helps to explain some things.”

“Nice to know you’re there, Cas. Now, what sort of things?” Gabriel asked, sitting up.

“I guess it’s our turn now,” Sam said.

He and Cas had agreed to meet in Texas after arriving on Earth, and had met up at Jensen’s house. It didn’t take long to find Dean and tell him of their concerns for Rich, Gabriel, and Loki. Soon, they were on one of the Ackles’ computers looking up information on how to find Rich’s home, and the first thing they found was his Los Angeles address for his fan mail. They decided to go there first to see what they could find.

“Let me guess: that’s when you found out that the Fourth Wall was blocked,” Gabriel said.

“Yeah, and it sucked ass,” Dean said. “If I were real I’m sure both my legs would be in a cast right now.”

“Yeah, Loki found out the hard way too,” Rich said.

“And Rich punched him for it,” Gabriel added. Rich glared at him.

“Whoa, you did _what?_ ” Dean said.

“What Gabriel is trying to say,” Rich said, still glaring at the archangel. “Is that Loki was doing something incredibly stupid, and I knocked some sense into him.”

“Fair enough.”

Sam cleared his throat. “Um, after we found out we were blocked, alarms went off, as you can very well imagine. We wondered if it was just some random isolated incident involving us, so we went and tracked down another character to see if they were having the same problem. But the one we ran into was creepy…”

“Who was it?” Rich asked.

"An extra for a movie that was filmed here recently. She was...off. She kept staring at something that wasn't there, like she was hearing something. Cas noticed it right away. He made us move on quickly. Said she wasn't herself."

As Sam went on and told about how he hacked into cell phone companies’ databases for Rich’s cell number after obtaining a burner phone in a rather shady way, Richard and Gabe’s words about corrupted characters came back to Gabriel. They had both said that the characters were lost to something inside of them.

“Did you see any dark marks or scars on her skin?” Gabriel asked.

There was a pause.

“I don’t recall, but then again, we couldn’t see her entire body,” Cas’ voice answered. “Are you suggesting that she might have had a Hate mark that was caused by Odium?”

“Oh great, on top of being blocked, now we have to worry about whether other characters have been stamped by the Edge or not?” Dean said.

“What’s with you and having to come up with weird terms?” Rich said.

“I didn’t make me this way!” Dean defended himself. “You should know that!”

“Regardless,” Cas interjected. “We all need to be vigilant. No one should be alone. We don’t know who is really who right now.”

“Do you think that the characters would hurt their performers?” Rich asked in a small voice. Gabriel moved closer to Rich and placed his hand on his thigh. “They don’t know what they’re doing…”

“I’ll start researching to see if anything like that has happened,” Sam said.

"Thanks, Sam. I hate that you guys had to come here and get stuck, but—"

"Hey,” Dean said. “It seems that we're in the right place and at the right time. Don’t sweat it.”

“Yeah. Call me if you guys find anything.”

“Will do.”

Rich ended the call, then sighed as he went limp against Gabriel. “Looks like we _are_ gonna be here for a bit longer; we can't just up and leave them on their own."

“It can’t be helped, Love,” Gabriel said, using his fingers to run them soothingly across Rich’s scalp. “They’ll understand.”

"I hope so. I miss them terribly already."

Gabriel kissed his hair. "Hey, you wanna go to Texas and meet up with them?"

Rich raised his head and looked into Gabriel’s eyes. "Really?"

"Why not?”

"You come up with great ideas sometimes,” Rich said, wrapping his arms around Gabriel’s neck.

Gabriel looked smug. "I do so only because you need me to."

Rich pulled Gabriel’s head towards his own. "Get down here and let me kiss you.”

"Only if you promise to suck my cock,” Gabriel said suggestively.

"Hmm, I might be persuaded to do so if you fuck me in the shower."

"You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Speight,” Gabriel laughed, then pressed Rich down onto the couch to seal the deal.

* * *

**_nameless dimension_ **

_...ah, there you are!_

_...and aren’t you just in time?_

_...growing, my web is spreading._

_...I see you, all of you._

_...think you’re so clever._

_...but you’re not._

* * *

**_Austin Community College Library - Austin, Texas_ **

In an empty group study room, Sam sat over a laptop that had been "acquired" from the library's set of devices that were for student and faculty use only. It had taken him just mere minutes to access the school’s wifi and circumvent the firewalls.

Dean was standing watch by the door, listening for anyone who might try to enter. Cas was leaning over Sam’s shoulder, watching as Sam searched for any signs of corrupted characters causing trouble with their performers.

“Anything yet?” Dean asked. “We’ve been here for a good twenty minutes already, Sammy.”

“It’s not as easy here as it is on the show, Dean,” Sam said, typing in another search string. “I’m also looking for any signs worldwide, by the way. A lot of ground to cover, ya know.”

Dean grunted. “Told you we should’ve grabbed two.”

“Yeah, like they wouldn’t notice _one_ missing to begin with,” Sam said sarcastically.

“Guys,” Cas said in exasperation.

“Fine,” Dean said, rolling his eyes.

The only sounds in the room for the next several minutes were the clacking of Sam’s fingers on the keyboard of the laptop. Dean was wishing that he had some gum or something to chew on, and Cas watched page after page load on the screen.

“Hey, something came up,” Sam finally said.

“What?” Dean strode over and leaned over Sam’s other shoulder. “No one died, did they?”

“Doesn’t seem that way,” Sam answered.

“Seem?”

“In China, a film star, Qiang Yuan, was eating dinner at home when he started to scream at thin air. His wife begged him to stop, but he acted like he couldn’t hear her. Ran to their bedroom, barricaded himself inside. She tried to get in, heard him screaming, begging for his life.”

“Shit, dude! Sounds like he was seeing a ghost.”

“Or one of his characters,” Cas said.

“What happened next?”

“His wife said he stopped and it was quiet for a long moment. She kept shouting his name and he wouldn’t answer, and she called for help. Just as the police arrived, he came out of the room. He was dripping wet, and when asked what was going on, all he said was that he was practicing for a sequel to one of his movies.”

“And everyone believed him?” Dean asked skeptically.

“He’s under observation. There’s no sequel being made to the movie he’s speaking of,” Sam said, reading further along in the article.

Dean looked thoughtful. “Guy starts screaming, jumps in the shower, comes out claiming to be preparing for a nonexistent movie…”

“The bedroom has no connecting bathroom,” Sam said.

Dean frowned. “That complicates things, doesn't it?”

“Did they find another body?” Cas said abruptly.

“I think that would’ve been a major part of the article, Cas,” Sam said, turning to look at him.

“What about those marks Gabriel and Rich spoke of?”

Sam turned back to the laptop. “I’m not sure if they’d put something like that in a news article—”

They all jumped when the cell phone rang.

“It’s Rich,” Sam said, picking it up. He answered and listened, then his eyebrows rose in surprise.

“Where are we exactly? One of the group study rooms at the Austin Community College library. Uh,” he told him where it was located in the building. “But why?”

“This is why!” They all whirled towards Gabriel’s voice and saw the archangel and Rich, who was pocketing his cell, standing in the far corner of the room. “Hiyas!”

Dean smirked. "Well, lookit you! Got your mojo back, huh?"

"Oh, you bet your ass it’s back, right Baby?" Gabriel looked over at Rich and ran his tongue over his lips salaciously.

Dean made a disgusted face. "Oh, gross! No, I really don’t need THAT much info!" He waved his hands in front of his face. “Ugh…”

“Ahh,” Gabriel said, shaking his head fondly. “I’ve missed you, Dean.”

“What are you looking at?” Rich asked, giving Gabriel an amused look as he walked over to Sam.

Sam briefly explained their findings, and Rich shared a worried look with Gabriel. “Is there a way to make sure?” he asked.

“I’m about to check his filmography to see what his roles were,” Sam answered.

Rich watched as the list came up. “Some of those are in Chinese,” he said.

“I’ll help,” Cas said. He quickly translated, then paused. “This one makes sense: _shui gui._ ”

“What the hell is that?” asked Dean.

Gabriel answered. “They’re vengeful ghosts of people who drowned. Stuck around where they died, then waited on someone else who happened to swim by. They drowned them, and that person took their place. The cycle started over again and went on forever."

"Well aren't you versed in Chinese folklore,” Dean said, impressed.

"I've watched a lot of TV over the past four years or so,” Gabriel shrugged.

“This sounds like something we’d hunt,” Dean mused.

“Nah, I could most likely bind them or something,” Gabriel said confidently.

“Gabriel,” Cas said. “You shouldn’t just blatantly use your fictional powers in such a way here.”

“I can be discreet, Cas. I’ve had time to learn. It’s not as if you three haven’t been leaving a trail all over the place.”

“Hey!” Dean snapped. “No need to get all coc—” He snapped his mouth shut.

Gabriel grinned. “Heh.”

“Anyway,” Sam said, not amused but trying to remain calm. “We should also try to figure out what happened to the real Qiang Yuan.”

“We could talk to this character, get something out of him, right?” Rich asked.

“Rich is right,” Cas said. “At the moment he’s our only lead. We have to start somewhere.”

“So who’s up for some real Chinese food?” Dean asked, rubbing his hands together.

“Uh, about that,” Gabriel said, walking over and placing a hand on Rich’s shoulder. “I’m all for it, but Rich can’t go.”

Rich raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I can.”

“No, you can’t. You don’t know the first thing about what to do against a monster, sweetheart.”

Rich glowered at him. “Don’t talk to me like that, Gabriel. I’m just as much a part of this as everyone else.”

“Rich, he has a point,” Sam said, trying to reason with him while turning around in his chair. “We don’t know what may happen, and this is someone like us, not to mention that they are most likely out of their mind.”

“And you’re mostly human still. You could really be hurt, or worse. Remember? We don’t know?” Gabriel grabbed Rich’s hands and pulled him around to face him. “Please, Baby. Go with me on this.”

“So you want me to just stay behind? Alone?” Rich said. “You want me to just sit and worry about you?”

“I want you to be safe!” Gabriel nearly yelled. “This thing…this whatever it is…for all we know it’s killed already. If you were to—” Gabriel’s voice cracked and he looked away, pinching his eyes shut. “Fuck!”

Rich opened his arms and crushed the archangel to him. “OK,” he whispered softly. “OK, Gabriel.” He closed his eyes as Gabriel gripped him tightly, his body shuddering as he gave in and wept silently into Rich’s chest. “I’ll stay. Please don’t cry.”

Sam, Dean, and Cas looked on, their hearts going out to the despondent couple. They knew how hard it was to leave behind someone they loved. “We’ll look out for him, Rich,” Sam said, trying to offer comfort.

“We’re good at what we do,” Dean added.

“My brother is in good hands,” Cas also supplied.

Rich nodded. “I know,” he said, kissing the top of Gabriel’s head. “Thank you.”

* * *

**_Montana_ **

Gabriel gathered items to put into a duffle bag on the kitchen table. Sam and Dean had requested food, and Rich had been more than happy to oblige them with a quick stop by the grocery store, despite Gabriel’s trepidation.

“They better appreciate this,” Gabriel grumbled, stuffing pork rinds and rice cakes into the bag. “And I better not hear one word about us not getting pizza! I wasn’t going to sit in the parking lot and wait on it!”

“OK, Gabriel,” Rich said quietly.

Gabriel looked up at Rich’s tone of voice. “Hey, talk to me.”

Rich smiled softly. “Alright.”

“Baby.” Gabriel quickly walked over to where Rich was leaning against the back of the couch. “I’ll be alright, OK?”

"How will I know that?" Rich asked. His eyes were bright and shiny with tears that he was holding back and Gabriel felt his heart twist. “How will I know, Gabriel?”

Gabriel took his hand and held it. "I've been debating on whether it would work...but..."

"Yeah?"

"Have you thought about praying to me?"

Rich stared at him and angrily jerked his hand away. "Gabriel, I'm serious!”

"So am I,” Gabriel said calmly. “Please, Rich.”

“Gabriel…”

“Please.”

Rich sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and crossed his arms. “See?” he said.

"I heard you, Baby,” Gabriel smiled.

"No, you didn't,” Rich scoffed.

Gabriel touched Rich’s shoulders. "’This is so incredibly stupid Gabriel. I'm really worried and you're making me try something that's only going to make me even more upset.’"

Rich’s mouth fell open. “Well, I’ll be damned. It worked."

"It did."

Rich closed his eyes again and prayed once more. _Kiss me, Gabriel._

Gabriel reached up and took Rich’s face between his hands to kiss him tenderly. Rich wrapped his arms around his angel and hugged him close. They parted their lips so they could stare into the other’s eyes.

“When I get back,” Gabriel breathed against Rich’s mouth. “I'm going to make so much love to you, Baby, I’ll make you _pray_ for me to stop…”

Rich shuddered. “Just come back to me—to us—first, OK?”

“Always, Love.” Gabriel kissed him again. “Always.”

* * *

**_Zhouzhuang, China_ **

Gabriel, Sam, Dean, and Cas appeared on the outskirts of Zhouzhuang, a town located on the east-central coast of China. Sam had discovered that Qiang Yuan had been diagnosed with extreme exhaustion and released, and had decided to go to the town with its scenic, watery views and canals for “relaxation and meditation.”

It was the middle of the night, and the town was all shadows and dark corners. The only light was from the many hanging strands of red lamps that hung from the edges of the ancient residential houses’ roofs. The sound of water running through the canals between the houses and under the bridges echoed in their ears, along with the leaves that rustled in the various trees that grew about.

The group of four walked softly, Gabriel taking point with his archangel blade drawn. He’d never thought that he would use his character weapon ever again, yet here he was, in the non-fiction world, on a probable hunt with the aptly-named Team Free Will. He would’ve snickered at the thought if it hadn’t been for the seriousness of the situation.

They kept close to the canals, having discussed beforehand about the likelihood of them finding their target near water. Dean was convinced that “Qiang” coming to a town with easy access to a river or stream wasn’t a mere coincidence, that it must be stuck in its character’s mindset. The others had agreed and had planned accordingly.

They’d decided to stay as far from the water as possible and “borrowed” crossbows for Sam and Dean to use in lieu of guns so they would not alarm the locals of their actions. Signals were chosen to be used for any possible situation or emergency, and Dean’s “Don’t get killed” was given with a very serious look to each of them, especially Gabriel.

They had been walking along the cobbled stone streets for over twenty minutes when Gabriel paused and raised his hand. The others immediately halted and waited to see what the archangel would do next.

Gabriel turned his head slowly towards the bridge that ran over the canal to their left, then pointed down to the sculling boat that was beneath it. It was literally just sitting there, as if the current of the water beneath it did not exist. He nodded his head in its direction, and, making sure that they were behind him, led them forward.

The area under the bridge was mostly in shadow, and if it hadn’t had been for Gabriel’s sharp eyesight, the boat would’ve gone unnoticed. The group made sure to keep plenty of distance between themselves and the water, and the two angels put themselves in front of the humans as they peered at the boat.

“Well, well, well…” they heard a male voice say in Mandarin.

“What did he say?” Dean said.

“It’s you. The one the Arbiter wants to conduit with…”

Gabriel tilted his head to the side. Arbiter?

They all widened their eyes in alarm when there was the sound of something slithering into the water.

“Get away from the canal!” Cas shouted, turning around and shoving Sam and Dean back. “Move!”

Gabriel whirled, intending to follow them. He cried out when he heard something burst forth from the water behind him and grab him, drenching him at the same time. “Gah!”

The others stopped and turned. “Gabriel!” Dean shouted.

They saw the _shui gui_ holding Gabriel in the air by his throat, and the archangel was gasping for breath and kicking his feet while clawing at the creature’s pale, gray arm. “Foolish,” it said in Mandarin, its wet, dark, stringy hair falling about its face. “But I was told that you were stupid, that you never think ahead. Lucky for me that I’m the one to have caught you…”

“Let him go!” Sam demanded, raising his crossbow. He took a step back when the deranged character gave him a sickly grin.

“Let him go? Why would I want to do that? He’ll get to be free of his burdens when he meets the Arbiter,” it continued in its native language.

Dean raised his own crossbow and Cas whipped out his blade. “Let him go now,” Cas said in Mandarin, his voice hard as steel.

The _shui gui_ smirked and a tidal wave rose up from the canal and crashed over them all. Sam, Dean, and Cas were washed up the street. They rolled over and over, kicking their arms and legs trying to stay afloat, Sam and Dean’s weapons flying from their hands.

They ended up tossed roughly against the side of a building and groaned as they stood, soaked to the skin. Cas had managed to hold on to his blade and looked up as he saw Gabriel being dragged up the side of one of the houses by the _shui gui._

“Hurry!” Dean shouted, having noticed as well. They all three raced towards the house, slipping on the wet stones of the road beneath them several times on the way. For a short moment, they stood looking up the side of the wall, not sure how to proceed before Sam pointed out the stack of crates nearby. Shortly after they were on the lower roof of the house, and watched in disbelief as the creature leaped from rooftop to rooftop while holding Gabriel about the neck like a ragdoll.

“It’s gone mad,” Cas said sadly.

“No,” Dean said dismissively. “No, don’t feel bad for it. It’s killed. It needs to go down.”

“Dean…”

“Not having this convo right now, Cas. It’s not the only one like it from what we’ve been told.”

Sam stepped between them. “Later, guys! We gotta go after it!” he snapped.

Dean and Cas looked away from each other. “We can’t follow them this way,” Cas said.

“Then let’s get back on the ground and run! Where are they headed, anyway?”

“West. Seems to be a temple in that general direction,” Cas answered, looking into the distance.

“Well, let’s go!”

* * *

Gabriel dug his fingers into “Qiang’s” arm, but it only succeeded in having his neck squeezed even tighter. He felt his eyes bug out of his skull and he clenched his teeth. The imposter glanced at him, and Gabriel felt ice run through his veins.

The character’s eyes were that horrible, pale green color that he had seen in Kit’s memories. The color Rich had mentioned in his nightmare.

What did it all mean?

“Wh—” he rasped. “What’s _wrong_ with you?”

It just smirked, tightened its hold even more, and continued leaping.

* * *

“Damn he’s fast!”

“You think?!”

“Come on, Dean!”

“I can’t see, Cas!”

“I told you to stay right behind me!”

“Will you two stop arguing!”

* * *

Gabriel cried out in pain as he was thrown roughly to the ground in front of Zhouzhuang’s Chengxu Temple. He moaned in pain and grabbed his bruised throat, coughing and gagging, wheezing in air as he rolled to his side. He looked at the front of the Taoist temple and saw his captor standing with its arms spread wide before it.

“Wh-What are you doing?” Gabriel choked out.

It turned, its eyes glowing brighter than before. “He’s coming.”

Gabriel staggered to his feet. “Cormac,” he whispered. He felt a surge of adrenaline course through him and went to unsheathe his archangel blade, cursing when he realized that he’d dropped it back at the bridge.

Fine. Old school then.

He took a sudden step back when a fissure appeared in front of the entrance to the temple. It pulsed with darkness, and Gabriel felt sick as waves of Hate issued forth from it. It seemed to twist in upon itself, and he could see tendrils of that disgusting green within it. What _was_ that?

He took another step back when a figure exited the bizarre fracture. His eyes widened, and fury filled his entire body at the sight of Cormac. Seeing the former Guardian’s horrid appearance—hairless, body covered with what he now knew to be Hate scars, dead, pupilless eyes—in person was even worse than he’d imagined.

And Kit had been tortured by him for years…

“ _You!_ ” Gabriel roared.

Cormac’s eyes shot to him, then went to Qiang’s doppelgänger. “Who is this?” he demanded.

“It’s the creator you’re searching for, Arbiter.”

“Are you blind?” Cormac said. He pointed at Gabriel. “It’s one of his insufferable personas! Do you take me for a fool?!” He backhanded the character roughly to its knees before him. “Do I need to let the Odium at you again?”

“No! Please no!” the character said from where it was cowering on the ground.

“Hey Swamp Thing!”

They all turned to see Dean, Sam, and Cas enter the temple’s courtyard. The trio stared at the scene before them for a moment, then Dean said, “Who the hell is Zebraman?” He motioned at Cormac.

“ _More_ personas?” Cormac said in exasperation. He raised his hand and flicked his wrists towards them, and all three went flying back into a break of trees, shouting in startled surprise.

“Guys!” Gabriel shouted. He turned in an attempt to go help them, then cried out when he was jerked backwards and whipped violently around.

“No, you stay right where you are,” Cormac said. He looked at the _shui gui_ and curled his top lip in disgust at its wet, stringy face. “You’re useless, dragging in four personas that do nothing for me.”

Its eyes went wide in terror. “But I’ve done everything you asked! Distrac—”

“Well, I guess you _did_ do that,” Cormac mused. He lifted his hand to the side and a disc swirled into existence, and it literally reeked of Odium. “I’ll make it…not as painless then.”

With that, he pointed his other hand at the shui gui and sent him flying into the Odium. The others shut their eyes and covered their ears with their hands as it was torn apart within, screaming in agony. Cormac watched with manic glee as it happened, and they were all relieved when its dying cries ended abruptly.

Gabriel looked at him in horror. “You’re sick,” he said, his face pale. “Sick.”

Cormac narrowed his eyes at the archangel. “I am justice.”

Dean, Sam, and Cas had struggled to their feet and taken position beside Gabriel. “Yeah, some justice,” Dean said. “Sounds to me like you’re batshit insane.”

“You’ll be thinking differently when you’re full of my Ether and see with the clarity of the Odium,” Cormac said, smiling gleefully.

They all shared a look. _That_ sounded wrong in more than one way. “And what happens then?” Sam asked.

“Why, you take over your worlds, of course, then come here to—”

Gabriel felt the rage that had been building inside of him erupt. He lunged forward, ignoring the shouts of his friends. He swung his fist, catching Cormac across the face. Kit’s face screaming in pain from being thrown against the parking lot wall flashed in his mind and his eyes flared with his grace. “I WON’T LET YOU!” he roared.

“Yes! Give in!” Cormac laughed as the archangel took out his fury upon him. He leaned into Gabriel’s next attack willingly. “Harder, you wonderful character!”

Kit begging Cormac not to hurt her rang loud in Gabriel’s ears and had him slamming the palm of his hand up into the bottom of the former Guardian’s chin so hard it jarred his elbow. “I’LL DESTROY YOU!” he bellowed.

“More!”

“YOU’LL NEVER HURT HER AGAIN!” Gabriel turned his head and used his grace to rip Cas’ blade out of the seraph’s hand and into his own. He then held it to Cormac’s throat. “I’ll gut you like a pig, throw you into the Edge, watch you die slowly. It’s what you deserve!” Tears fell down his face as the image of Kit being beaten over and over came to the forefront of his mind. “You hit her, and I swear, if you ever thought of doing more to her…”

“Hmm, she _is_ a—” Cormac began salaciously, and Gabriel’s face contorted into pure, violent hatred as he swiftly raised the blade to plunge it straight into the vile, warped being’s mouth.

“I’LL END YOU HERE!!!”

Before he could bring it down, Cormac struck. His fist shot out and drilled into Gabriel’s stomach with such force that the archangel felt it ricochet throughout his entire body. He opened his mouth in a painful, soundless scream, dropping the blade with a clatter to the stone-paved ground.

As he doubled over, Cormac caught him and whispered into his ear, “Keep that rage inside of you, persona. It’ll come in handy later. And,” he chuckled darkly. “Thanks for letting me know that she’s still alive.”

Gabriel jerked his head up. _I’m sorry, I’m sorry,_ Kit’s panicked words resounded in his head. “You bastard!” he shouted. He gathered the last of his strength and barreled forward, driving his shoulder into Cormac’s chest and forcing him back into the fissure. “Stay away from her!”

“Gabriel, no!” Cas dashed forward, grabbing Gabriel around the waist. “Don’t!” He pulled back with all his weight, stopping Gabriel from tumbling inside along with Cormac. They fell onto the ground and watched as the fissure winked away, the aperture of Odium shortly after.

Gabriel tried to jerk out of the seraph’s hold. “Dammit, Cas! I could've found out where he's hiding!” He kicked out with his legs, straining to get up. “I still might be able to—”

Dean appeared in front of them and dropped to one knee. “He’s gone man!” he said, gripping Gabriel by the shoulders to stop him. “It’s over!”

“NO!” Gabriel howled. “GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!”

“What’s wrong with him?” Sam said, looking on. “I’ve never seen him like this.”

Cas grunted as Gabriel elbowed him sharply in the ribs. “He was near the—UGH!—Odium too long. Cormac brought out his revenge, egged him on until it overwhelmed him.” He grappled Gabriel’s limbs with his own, bearing his brother’s blows to keep him from getting out of his hold.

Gabriel ignored their words and bared his teeth at the eldest Winchester before him. “LET ME UP OR I SWEAR I’LL—”

Dean matched his volume. “WILL YOU JUST STOP!” Gabriel’s eyes widened as he stilled in shock. Dean then continued in a firm voice. “You can't take this all on your own! You're not invincible, Gabriel! Look at yourself!”

“I—” Gabriel grit his teeth and went lax in Cas’ arms. He tasted blood in his mouth, felt bruises forming on the skin of his stomach and abdomen. He knew that he was covered in dirt, scratches, and even more bruises.

But it didn’t matter!

He turned tearful, pained eyes back to Dean. “That…That fucker hurt her, Dean... He's after my family…” He coughed as his words caught in his throat and winced. “I want to tear his nonexistent heart out!” He dug his fingernails into his palms until they cut his skin.

Sam kneeled to his side and took both of Gabriel’s hands in his, gently uncurling them. “And we'll get him for that. But Gabriel… You're a mess, man.”

“This is all a fucked up mess, Sam,” Gabriel replied, hanging his head and letting his tears fall unashamedly.

Cas placed his hands on his arms. “Can you heal yourself?” he asked quietly.

Gabriel looked over himself once more and was silent for a long moment before saying, “Heh, I’ve put myself through the wringer, haven’t I?” He closed his eyes and called forth his grace, willing it to flow through his body and erase his injuries. His brows then furrowed as he kept losing control with the usually simple process.

He finally opened his eyes and sighed. “I can’t focus,” he said tiredly. “I don’t know why.”

“You’ve overtaxed yourself. The Odium probably didn’t help either,” Cas said.

“I’m sorry,” Gabriel said, looking at each of them. “I couldn’t control myself.”

“Happens to the best of us,” Dean said.

Sam looked about the courtyard and saw a stone bench under a circle of trees. “Doesn’t look like the most comfortable of places, but you can rest for a bit over there,” he said, pointing it out to them.

“Rich is gonna kill me,” Gabriel groaned as Cas and Dean helped him to his feet. “He hates it when me or Loki get ourselves hurt.”

Dean put one of the archangel’s arms over his shoulders. “He would've been even more upset if Cas hadn't stopped you.”

“Kicking me when I’m down, Winchester?” Gabriel said, smiling slightly. He winced as Cas took his other arm and they proceeded to walk over to the bench. “I’m injured, ya know.”

Dean snorted. “Just go take your nap, ya big baby.”

* * *

**_Fictional World - Trondheim, Norway_ **

“Where are they, Loki? It’s been too long. They should’ve been back by now.”

Loki looked down into Kit’s worried blue eyes. They were lying in one of their hotel room’s beds, wrapped around one another. They had been back in the city for the past three days, waiting on the return of Gabriel and Rich, and each morning that they awoke with no sign of them, it left Kit feeling more and more anxious.

“Like I told you last night, Kitten: If they’re not back by the time the sun goes down, I’ll call out to the Guardian and see if she won’t give us a hand in getting to this world's moon portal.”

Kit sighed against Loki’s naked chest. “The more time that goes by, the worse it gets,” she said quietly.

“I know,” Loki said, kissing her head.

She looked up at him. “You say that a lot.”

“Say what?”

“‘I know.’”

He looked confused. “I don’t understand.”

“You say that whenever Gabriel or Rich tell you that they love you,” she explained.

“I see,” Loki said, averting his eyes from hers.

Kit placed a hand on his face. “Why don’t you say it back?”

Loki closed his eyes and covered her hand with his. “Because words can be used in ways that can destroy you,” he said, opening his eyes. “I was known as ‘Silver Tongue,’ remember? I’m quite aware of how powerful they can be.”

“But they would never do that to you!” Kit was surprised at Loki’s answer. “Of all people, Loki…”

“My past begs to differ,” he said. “But,” he added, placing a finger over her lips. “It doesn’t mean that I don’t feel the same way in return. They know what’s in my heart.”

“I hope that someday you’ll be able to say it to them,” she replied as he curled his fingers around her jaw.

“Perhaps,” he said.

“Loki?”

“Yes?”

“I miss them.”

He drew her face to his. “I do too.”

“Can we stay here today? I want to be with just you.”

He kissed her deeply. “I had planned on it, actually.”

* * *

**_Earth: Montana_ **

Gabriel nearly fell to his knees when he, Sam, Dean, and Cas appeared in front of his home in Montana. It was midday, and the sky was overcast with the scent of rain in the air. Cas went to Gabriel’s side to help steady him as the others looked about, and Dean whistled.

“Nice place,” he said. “Sure you guys aren’t trying to start up your own little colony?”

“Drop it, Dean,” Sam said.

Dean shrugged. “Just sayin’.”

The front door swung open and they all turned their heads towards it. Rich was standing there looking in shock at Gabriel. He quickly ran down the steps and took the archangel’s face with trembling hands.

“What happened?” he demanded.

“I—” Gabriel started to say.

“Shut up!” He looked at Cas. “You all said that you’d look out for him.”

“Rich, it was stronger—”

“You said that he’d be fine with you!” Rich shouted, then glared over at Sam and Dean. “ _This is fine?!_ ”

“Baby,” Gabriel said softly. Rich turned his head to him and Gabriel placed his hand on Rich’s arm. “It wasn’t their fault.”

Rich leaned his head against Gabriel’s. “What happened?” he whispered. “Why are you hurt, Gabriel?”

“Maybe we should all go inside,” Sam suggested.

Rich nodded, then gently took Gabriel’s arm. “OK. Let’s go do that.”

* * *

Seated in the living room, the group recounted the events of what had happened in China to Rich, and the human soon came to realize how dire the situation had been. His eyes kept going to Gabriel at his side, not liking how the archangel looked worn and exhausted. When it was revealed that Gabriel had inadvertently informed Cormac about Kit being alive, Gabriel covered his face with his hands and groaned.

“If she comes back here, she’ll be stuck in this house because of me,” he said guiltily.

“Gabriel, you weren't yourself,” Cas said.

“It still won’t make what she has to go through any better,” Gabriel said into his hands. “She doesn't deserve to be caged, all alone.” He dropped his hands. “She’d been a prisoner, and she’d finally escaped to be with us, and now I’ve gone and done it to her all over again.”

Rich put his hand on his thigh. “She won’t be alone. I’ll stay with her.” He smiled when Gabriel turned weary, tear-glazed eyes to him. “You said that I can’t be with you guys whenever you go off and do your thing, right? Where else would I be?”

Gabriel groaned again. “Shit, Rich, don’t you see? You’re in the same boat as she is!” He leaned against Rich. “He’s after you too, remember?”

Rich kept his smile on his face. “Even more reason for me to be with her,” he said.

“And who stays and watches you guys?” Dean said.

“I have an idea,” Sam said. “But first, I think Gabriel needs to rest up some more.”

“Yeah, you two go take the rest of the day off. We’ll do some strategizing,” Dean said.

Rich looked at Gabriel. “You do need to get cleaned up.” He looked at the floor then grimaced. “Ugh, you all left your shoes on. Loki is gonna have a fit.”

They all looked confused. “Is he a neat freak or something?” Dean asked.

“You have no idea,” Gabriel said, a small smile forming on his face. “If he were here he’d be raising hell.”

“I was wondering why you took your shoes off,” Cas said.

“You guys go on. We’ll take care of the mess,” Sam said.

“Thanks,” Rich replied, helping Gabriel stand up. “There’s a frozen pizza and a couple burritos in the fridge. Help yourselves.”

“Sounds great. Thanks,” Dean said.

They watched the couple walk slowly down the hallway, then quickly went to work. “They’re so…” Dean said, wiping up the floor. “ _Husbandy._ ”

“Well, that’s essentially what they are,” Sam said, sweeping with the broom he had found in the house’s utility room. “I’m happy for them, all of them.”

Cas came out of the mudroom after putting away all their shoes. “It’s interesting, their situation. I wonder if it would ever happen for other performers and their characters.”

“Theirs was a set of perfect, unique circumstances. They all fell in perfect sync, and it was allowed by higher powers. I’m not sure if it would ever happen again. But”—Sam emptied the dustpan into the garbage—”if it happened once, who knows?”

“Well now that we’ve discussed that, let’s get to work on this idea of yours, Sam,” Dean said, sitting at the table.

Sam rolled his eyes when Dean tossed him the dirty rag, then took it and the broom back to the utility room, depositing the rag on top of the washer. When he came back, Cas was sitting across from Dean, and he took the seat at the end of the table.

“So?” Dean asked.

“It’s like this…” Sam began.

* * *

**_The Summit_ **

Richard walked along with the Boss as she went to check on her brother. He had met her on the path and had decided to go with her on a whim. He’d tried to check on his Guardian as much as he could by himself, but sometimes it just hurt too much, seeing him lying almost lifeless on the bed.

“And he’s getting stronger?”

“Yes, I can sense it every time I see him,” the Boss replied.

Richard nodded. “I’m glad.”

She turned her head as she approached the entryway to the alcove. “He’s going to be OK, Richard.”

“Yeah.”

She activated the wall, then stopped as she saw B sitting up in bed.

“Hey, Sis,” he said, blinking tiredly at her. He moved his eyes to Richard. “Hey there.” He looked behind him. “Where’s your cupid?”

Richard’s eyes widened. “You’re awake!” He brushed past the Boss to go stand by the side of the bed. “Are you alright?”

“I feel drained, but I think I’ll live,” B said. He smiled as the Boss joined them. “How long?”

“Longer than I liked, but it seems that you’re out of the woods,” she answered.

“And the Edge? The Odium? The things I told you?”

“There’s been more.”

He leaned against the pillows behind him. “More?” He folded his hands in his lap. “Of course there is,” he sighed.

He listened while the Boss explained about Rich, Gabriel, Loki, and Kit. How Kit had been tortured for years by Cormac. Her accident, her memory loss. Their luck in finding a way back to the fictional world.

Richard had gone to fetch Gabe, and when they returned, B was looking a bit upset. “Cormac, you say? He’s even younger than me.”

“Are you guys just born in batches or something?” asked Gabe, genuinely curious.

“It’s a tad more complicated than that. We’re not ‘born,’ but ‘thought out’ by Omnipotence itself.”

Gabe and Richard shared a strange look. “You could’ve just said that your old man was weird,” Richard said.

“It’s actually not—”

“We’re getting off-topic,” the Boss cut in. She looked at her brother. “Cormac hasn’t been heard from in a very long time. It seems that he has gone through a very trying ordeal.”

“He lost his world and everyone in it. It’s no wonder that he might’ve cracked,” B said.

The Boss shook her head. “Why did no one else know of this?” Her voice sounded sad.

B gave her a pitying look. “Us younger ones didn’t want to cause you pain, Sis.”

“Boss?” Gabe asked, taking a step forward to stand by her. “What’s he talking about?”

She looked at him. “As you know, it is possible for worlds to be lost.”

“Yes, but you guys can save the people in them, though. We saw you do that with Richard’s, by moving everyone over here.”

The Boss looked back at B. “Sometimes it happens too quickly.” She went to sit on the corner of the bed. “We consider our charges as our children in a way. We love each and every one of them. Would do anything for them.”

She looked down at her lap. “My first world, it was one of the tales that was housed in the Library of Alexandria.”

“Shit, Boss,” Gabe said. He felt Richard take his hand. “Don’t tell me…”

“It happened too quickly for anything to be done. Maybe if I’d been more experienced—”

“You know that’s not true, Sis,” B said. She looked at him with sad, old eyes. “No one was able to save anything from that tragedy.”

“I was afraid of this happening to you,” the Boss said. “I didn’t want you coming back with your world gone, your characters having to be dispersed to other places. The pain never fades.” Her face turned remorseful. “I nearly drowned in it, pulled deep inside a dark place, until I was given another world to show me that I still had others to give me a purpose.”

“We know that all too well,” Gabe said.

B gave his sister an odd look. “I’m sensing something from you. What are you thinking?”

“Something I need to talk to our siblings about, but only when you’re fully recovered so you can also be involved,” she said.

He nodded. “I like this new system of yours. I’ll try to get better ASAP.”

“You do that,” she smiled, standing to her feet. “Off we go then,” she said, waving her hands towards Richard and Gabe. “He’s had enough excitement for now.”

“Come visit me later!” B said as they headed out the room. “I get bored easily.”

“You like poker?” Richard asked.

“Careful, he cheats!” Gabe warned.

“Do not!”

* * *

**_Earth: Montana_ **

Gabriel groaned as he sat down slowly into the warm water of the bathtub and leaned back against its backside. He was healing, could feel it already, but it was taking longer this time. He and Cas had theorized that the power of the Hate marks and the influence of the Odium would slow down the recovery process a bit.

“Here,” Rich said, sitting on the edge of the tub. He lathered a washcloth with soap and began gently cleansing his skin. “Let me know if it hurts.”

“You just being near me makes it hurt less, Love,” Gabriel sighed, closing his eyes. He allowed Rich to move the cloth along his limbs, his chest, his face. It was calming, and he could’ve fallen asleep from the careful attentiveness from his lover if he’d wanted.

“Gabriel,” Rich said softly, pausing with his hand hovering over the archangel’s bruised abdomen. “You know, it wasn’t that long ago that I was right here, with Loki, doing this exact same thing.”

Gabriel opened his eyes to see Rich looking down into the water, biting his lip and gripping the wet piece of fabric so tightly that his hand was shaking.

“Rich, I’m sor—”

“Quiet.”

“OK.”

Rich snapped his eyes up to his. They were a mixture of hurt and anger. “I can’t keep having this conversation with you two. It’s like I’m yelling into a hurricane where my words are just being blown away and unheard.”

Gabriel moved to sit up, to protest what Rich was saying, but the human shook his head. “I know what you’re going to say, I’ve heard it more than once from Loki already, and I understand. I don’t fault either of you for it. I just…” He looked to the side and his face twisted into a look of grief that made Gabriel want to cry. “Kit was right,” Rich choked out.

“We keep taking things for granted.” Gabriel lowered his head after recalling her words. “But it was an accident…” he whispered, mostly to himself. He closed his eyes when he felt Rich’s palm touch the side of his face.

“And how many more ‘accidents’ will keep happening?” Gabriel opened his eyes as Rich turned his face towards him. “When will one of them become a hole here?” Rich went on, placing his other hand over his heart. “You broke down in my arms just yesterday, Gabriel, feeling scared about the same thing I am right now.”

Gabriel raised a hand and touched Rich’s. “I know that it sounds unfair and like an excuse, but I was enraged by what happened to Kit, Rich. Then that Odium crap was there... I couldn't think..."

Rich pulled away, and the sound of the washcloth splashing into the tub echoed in the bathroom as he covered his face with his hands. “I want this all to be over. Why is this happening to us?”

“Oh, my love,” Gabriel said, pushing himself to his knees and wrapping his arms around Rich, water and soap and all. “I don’t know. I just don’t know.” Rich laid his head against Gabriel’s shoulders, gripping him tightly. “We’re going to set this right. We’re going to fix it.”

“Don’t leave us alone. We’re all finally together…” Rich gasped.

Gabriel pulled back and took his human’s face between his palms. “Hey, all of us, we’re attracted to each other like magnets. We can be on different sides of the universe—even different sides of realities—yet somehow we all get pulled back to each other in one way or the other. We were all made for one another, us four.”

“Gabriel…” Rich breathed.

“We _were,_ ” Gabriel smiled.

Rich held Gabriel’s gaze as he tilted his head into one of the archangel’s hands. “I love you, my gorgeous angel.”

“Oh, I love you too, my amazing human.”

* * *

“Wow, they have even more channels here than they do back home!” Dean said, flipping through the television stations with the remote. He had made the pizza that Rich had mentioned, even though he had raised an eyebrow at the “gluten and dairy-free” label that had been printed across the front of the package.

He was hungry though, and all he’d had in the past forty-eight hours were pork rinds and one of those godawful rice thingies that Sam liked. He could handle this.

He raised the pizza to his mouth and took a bite.

“Hmm, not as bad as I thought,” he said.

“Told you, Dean,” Sam said from the recliner to his right. He’d already eaten three slices.

“I didn’t say that I wouldn’t try it, and I did, so lay off,” Dean said, taking another bite.

Cas was looking at the description of one of the television shows. “What is a ‘Central Perk?’”

“Oh, it's one of the places for Loki’s favorite show!” Gabriel said pleasantly as he walked into the room.

“I’ll be sure to let him know that you told everyone,” Rich said, walking up behind him.

“He’s been in denial about it for too long anyway,” Gabriel said, waving off Rich’s words.

Dean noticed that they both had smiled at each other indulgently during the entire exchange. “You guys look better.” He smirked. “You uh,“ he bounced his eyebrows. “Get plenty of rest?”

Gabriel huffed. “A gentleman never reveals his private affairs, monsieur!” he said, feigning indignation.

“He snored and drooled,” Rich said, walking to the fridge to grab a bottle of water.

Dean snickered and went back to eating his pizza.

“And you found it hot as hell,” Gabriel said, following Rich into the kitchen. He swiped a piece of pizza from the stove and went to sit at the table.

Cas grabbed the remote from Dean and turned off the TV. “We’ve decided on a course of action."

Rich sat next to Gabriel with his own plate of pizza. “What is it?”

The others gathered around the table. “We know that if we suggested leaving Rich and Kit at the Summit that it wouldn’t go over well…”

Rich glared. “Damn straight it wouldn’t.”

Gabriel took his hand. “You’d be safe though,” he tried to reason.

“No, Gabriel! We’d go out of our minds with worry, and have no way of knowing if you guys were OK unless you returned.” He looked at the table. “What if you never came back?”

“At least you’d be surrounded by others who could keep you safe.”

“Don’t ask us to do that. We can’t pray to you from there, Gabriel,” Rich begged, raising his head and looking at him.

“I can’t reply to you, Baby.”

“He can enter your dreams,” Cas said.

Rich turned his head to the seraph. “Yes! That’s right!” He turned back to Gabriel. “You can enter our dreams! Please,” he gripped Gabriel’s hand with both of his. “Please, Gabriel!”

Gabriel sighed. “OK, Rich.” He covered their hands with his other one. “OK.”

Sam waited for them to face forward and smirked. “We anticipated Rich talking you into that.” He ignored Gabriel’s huff. “So, why don’t we have another angel stay with them?”

“You mean Cas?” Gabriel asked. “But wouldn’t he be needed to help look?”

“We do know of one other angel,” Cas said.

Rich smiled. “Gabe.”

“Gabe?” Gabriel said. “You really think he’d be OK?”

“Why not? His grace is patterned after yours; it would help keep your warding in place. He should also be able to sense if something hostile were to approach,” said Cas.

“Do you think that he’d agree?” Rich asked.

“He and Richard have a pretty big axe of their own to grind with Cormac. I’m sure that he’d be more than willing,” Dean said.

“Richard too,” Sam added. “Those two seem to be attached at the hip.”

Rich and Gabriel looked at each other. “It happens,” Rich smiled.

“So,” Gabriel said. “I guess that’s settled then. Let’s finish dinner, then we’ll head out.”

“Actually…”

Gabriel and Rich turned to Dean.

"We still don't know exactly where Cormac is, but we _do_ know how to draw him out. We're thinking of finding more of these corrupted characters, scouting them out."

“You’re going to stay here?” Rich asked, looking at them all worriedly. “By yourselves?”

"Yeah, and you two are gonna head back on your own AND”—he held his hand up to stop them from talking—“enjoy some time with your other guy and y’all’s girl.”

Rich stood. “What? NO! After what just happened?! We can’t leave you guys here on your own and just waltz off on a vacation!”

“Rich is right! You can’t fly, Cas! The portals are still down! We can’t communicate!” Gabriel said, standing as well. “This is really stupid, guys!”

“We didn’t say that we would go after them. Just try to find more of them. There’s a difference!” Dean said. “We have nothing to go on until we can find a way to get this bastard to come back out into the open. We’re obviously not giving him what he wants.”

“But how much time will that take? And how will we know when to come back?” Rich asked.

“A week. Give us a week,” Sam said. “Cormac is more than likely keeping an eye out for us all. We need to lay low, work discreetly. Find somewhere that he won’t be able to detect us while we keep our eyes and ears open for anything remotely strange going on.”

Rich and Gabriel mulled over Sam’s suggestion. “I don’t…” Rich sighed, then looked to Gabriel for his opinion.

“If you stay, you stay here. Don’t leave. There’s wifi, so you can use that. Just don’t be hacking any government agencies or anything, OK? Don't need Rich being thrown in jail.”

“Of course not,” Dean said, smiling.

“Oh, and here,” Gabriel added, taking his cell out of his pocket. “Loki hates video games, says they’re too loud. Makes me listen to his classical music though, the big fuddy-duddy. Anyway, I only get to play them on my phone.” He tapped a few commands, removing the lock function. “There’s several on here for you to play if you get bored, which I know you do.”

He handed Dean his cell, and Dean looked at the screen. “Candy Crush?” he asked.

“One of my favs,” Gabriel said with a cheesy grin. He then looked over at Cas. “I’ll amp up the warding, show you where the sigils are."

Cas nodded. “I should be able to handle that.”

“I really, _really_ don’t like this,” Rich said suddenly, running his hands down his face.

“Don’t worry, I promise to make sure that Dean keeps his shoes off in the house,” Cas deadpanned.

There was a moment of silence, then the other four broke into laughter. Cas joined in, glad that he was able to break the tense mood.

“Thank you, Cas. I was worried about that the most,” Rich chuckled, sitting back down. Gabriel took his seat beside him. “But seriously, no shoes guys.”

“And we’ll stock up the fridge before we leave,” Gabriel added. He looked about, then snapped his fingers, a pen and a pad of paper zooming over from the island and landing in front of him. "You guys have any requests before I head out to get enough food to keep you giants fed?"

* * *

**_The Summit_ **

“How do you make a simple sandwich taste so amazing, babe?” Richard asked, relishing his turkey and swiss on rye. “I swear I hit the jackpot with you.”

Gabe smiled, holding his own sandwich. “I just put them together. I think you’re just trying to butter me up, Richard.”

“You do something different. No idea what it is, but you do.”

They both turned their heads when two people entered the room. “Hey guys!” Gabriel said.

“Oh! Hey! Didn’t expect anyone to visit today,” Gabe greeted. He then tilted his head. “What happened to the chin pubes?” He craned his head behind them. “And where’s the rest of your happy quartet?”

Gabriel stroked his hair-free jaw with a finger. “I grew out of it, and they’re in Norway.”

Gabe raised an eyebrow. “Here Norway?”

Rich nodded. “We’re on our way to see them from Earth.”

“What were you doing there? I thought you guys had planned to stay here for a while,” Gabe said.

“It’s actually why we’re here. Can we talk to you guys for a bit?”

“Sure. Want to join us?”

“Nah, but a glass of that sweet tea would be great if it’s OK.”

After receiving their drinks, Gabriel and Rich told them what had happened while they were on Earth. They then explained Sam’s plan, and how Rich and Kit would need someone to stay with them.

“Why would Rich and Kit even need to go back? Couldn’t you two stay here?” Gabe asked.

Rich scowled. “We all discussed that. Suffice it to say, it wouldn’t work out.”

“This plan of yours… Do you think that it would also help with the Odium? Wipe it out of the worlds it’s invaded?” Richard asked.

“Cormac called it forth on whim, so I believe it will,” Gabriel said.

“Whaddya think?” Gabe said, looking across the table to Richard.

The human shrugged. “Better than sitting around here doing nothing. B is on the mend, and how can we say no to our performer?” He looked over and smiled at Rich.

Gabriel smiled gratefully as he said, “I'll never be able to thank you guys enough. Those two are my and Loki's world.”

“Hey, no need to explain. We know how that feels more than you know,” Gabe said, reaching across and taking Richard’s hand in his.

Gabriel looked at them fondly. “You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say that Rich unconsciously planned for you two to be together from the start.”

“Huh,” Richard said, tilting his head at Rich. “Are you keeping something from us, Rich?”

Rich snorted. “Why don't you ask that thing that does whatever it does up there?” he replied, pointing his finger up at the ceiling. “It seems to be making all these decisions.”

“You and all of us!” Gabe laughed.

Gabriel finished off his glass then stood, offering his hand to help Rich to his feet as well. “Well, we've a couple of people who are probably worried about us that we need to go see. The Boss should have a portal ready to get us near where they are.”

“Don’t stay on account of us.”

“Thanks again, guys. You’ve no idea what this means to us,” Rich said, giving them a relieved smile.

Richard waved them off. “You’re welcome, already! Now git!”

The two visitors chuckled as they left, then Richard whipped his head around to his angel and grinned. “They're all gonna have a lot of sex, aren't they?”

Gabe nearly choked on his tea. “Richard! Don’t say something like that while I’m drinking!”

“Admit it: You were thinking of it too!”

“Actually I was thinking of finishing my sandwich!”

“Hmph.”

* * *

**_Fictional World - Trondheim, Norway_ **

Loki felt Kit stir against his chest, waking him up from their impromptu afternoon nap. They had walked all over the area around their hotel after lunch, trying to take their minds off of worrying about Rich and Gabriel.

Not that it helped much, and it had only served to tire them, which led to the nap once they returned to their room.

He frowned as a thrumming sensation started to course just beneath his skin. It didn’t hurt, just felt weird, odd. He snapped open his eyes when it grew stronger, then stilled when he saw Kit’s wide eyes upon him.

“Did I startle you?” he asked, focusing on her.

She shook her head. “No.” She shifted closer to him. “Loki, your eyes are glowing.”

His own eyes went round. “They’re _what?_ ”

“They’re all… Well, they look like they’re full of your magic, I suppose? Smokey white? It’s a little eerie, but I know it’s you behind them.”

Loki relaxed. He was worried that it had scared her. “Yes, I’m here. No need to be afraid.” He rolled to his back, then raised his hand before him, studying it.

“Are you alright?” Kit asked as Loki turned his hand slowly from front to back.

“I’m not quite sure.” He closed his eyes, deciding to search out the area around them. When they had first arrived in the city, he had noticed that some of the magic that the writers referred to on the show was present in the town and surrounding land. Now, he also detected something else: a faint, rhythmic chant, which he recognized as _galdr_ magic. It had also been written into ancient Norse myths, and why it was here was anybody’s guess. Perhaps it was so entwined in Earth’s version of Loki, it had seeped over into the show’s version of himself.

Either way, now it was flowing through the air around him, weaving in with the magic created with the world and within himself, making that magic inside of him stronger.

But who was chanting it?

He followed the flow of the chant carefully, over fjords and thick forests of firs. He then discovered that the incantation was old. _Very_ old. It was originating from the many runes that still existed across Scandinavia. A spell must’ve been cast to trigger the _galdr_ within the runes when it sensed that he was back in the region and needed help.

Gabriel, it had to have been Gabriel. He was always one to have a backup plan.

Why had his angel never mentioned it to him?

He smirked inwardly; it was meant to be a surprise.

“Bratty angel,” he said, opening his eyes and smiling.

“Do what?” Kit asked, smiling in return.

“Gabriel made a contingency plan when he was masquerading as me. A way to draw restorative power from Norse artifacts and sacred locations. He never told me about it, probably never thought it would ever be needed.” He smiled fondly. “I bet he planned on me finding out this way; it’s just like him.” He stretched his fingers, swirls of power wrapping around them loosely. “Ancient Norse magic is enhancing my own now,” he continued. “And I’m guessing it’ll do the same once we’re back home.”

Her eyes softened. “Will it be my home too?”

“Of course it will, Kitten,” he said. He pulled her closer and laid her head on his chest. “Our home.”

“I’ve never had a home, a real home, before,” she said.

“Now you do.” He raised his hand once more, and she looked along with him.

“So you’re like Gabriel, huh? You have a way to make yourself stronger?”

He sighed and lowered his hand. “Yes. Another anomaly.”

She touched his hand. “Why, though? Have you ever thought about that?” she asked.

Loki tightened his arm around her as he pushed himself up against the headboard, pulling her with him. He thunked his head against it and played with her fingers. “I'm to the point where asking questions is a work in futility.”

“But it’s the only way to get answers.”

He ran his hand up and down her back. “You’re not wrong, but it's hard to get an answer from something that won't respond to your questions, Kitten.”

“So what are you going to do?” she asked, snuggling closer to him and pressing her face into his open white dress shirt. His vest and tie had been laid with his suit jacket on the other bed.

He looked down at her lying on his chest. Her hair was still growing slowly on her head, now more pronounced than it had been previously. She had taken to pulling her beanie down over her ears more to keep them warmer, and he didn’t like it.

He flexed his fingers, then smiled softly. “I think I might do this,” he said. He gently covered the top of her head and cradled it within his palm.

She froze. “Loki?” she said uncertainly.

“Shh,” he whispered.

* * *

Ever so slowly, his magic surrounded her scalp. Kit inhaled as she felt her hair start to grow. The strands became long, thick, flowed over Loki’s fingers. It curled past her ears, then her neck, stopping when it fell below her shoulders. She gasped and tears welled in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks like raindrops.

Loki carefully removed his hand from her head, her now full head of hair gliding through his fingers. She started to shake when he placed his hand on her shoulder. “Kit?”

She raised her hand and touched her head so she could comb her fingers through her hair. “L-Loki…” she stuttered, her voice thick with tears.

He kissed the top of her head. “Shh…”

She lifted her face, her newly grown hair falling about it softly. “I…” She swallowed and more tears fell from her eyes. “You didn’t have to…”

He kissed her tenderly. “Your head shouldn’t be cold,” he said simply, though his eyes told a different story.

Before she could respond, a voice said, “Now how are we supposed to compete with _that?_ "

They both turned, and Kit’s eyes widened in surprised joy. “You’re back!”

Gabriel and Rich smiled broadly. “Of course we are!” Gabriel said.

Kit hugged Loki, then bounded out of bed. Rich was closest, so she ran to him and threw herself into his arms. “I’ve missed you!” she said, hugging him tightly. She closed her eyes as he embraced her.

“God, I missed you too, Kit,” he said, placing his hand on the back of her head. He smelled her hair as he turned his head. “You’re beautiful with or without it, ya know,” he whispered, running his fingers through her strawberry-blonde tresses.

She pulled back and looked into his face. “Rich…”

He stared into her eyes, then something sparked within them before he crushed his lips to hers, and Kit eagerly returned it as she raised her arms and wrapped them around his neck. It was a desperate kiss, a kiss to seal a promise, a kiss full of feelings. Rich ran his other hand down her back and pressed her against him, and Kit clung to him, not wanting it to stop.

Loki had greeted Gabriel with a brush of the lips, stroking the smooth skin of the archangel’s face as a way of approving the removal of the beard. They parted to witness their lovers, Gabriel standing in Loki’s embrace and running a finger along the trickster’s open shirt collar.

“Look at them,” Gabriel breathed.

“I know, Angel,” Loki replied. He nuzzled Gabriel’s neck. “Just wait.”

Rich broke his kiss with Kit and stared into her eyes. “I told you that I would kiss you,” he said against her lips.

Kit breathed deeply. “It’s about damn time.” She moaned when Rich rolled his hips against her. “Rich…”

“I know that it’s sudden, and that we’re not alone,” Rich said, leaning forward, kissing down her neck and making her head tilt back. “But God I need you, Kit. I want you.”

She closed her eyes, feeling her body burn hot for the man touching and holding her. Her mind filled with the memories of Gabriel making her scream, of Loki making her writhe in pleasure. She had no doubt that Rich would do the same.

Her legs nearly buckled as she realized that all three were indeed right here with her, that right now she could experience what it would be like to finally be with them all, what she would get to have forever.

She turned her head, saw Gabriel and Loki watching them. Another memory came back to her, of the three men in their room back at the house in Montana making love to each other while she looked through the crack in the bedroom door. And how she had wanted to be a part of what they had.

And now she could...

“Do you want us Kit?” Rich whispered in her ear.

She turned back to him, saw that Rich’s eyes were dark pools of lust. “I want you first,” she heard herself say.

His lips were immediately on hers again, and she opened her mouth, wanting to taste him. He dipped his tongue inside, and she slid hers against his. She then moaned as he drew her tongue into his mouth and sucked it, and she gripped his arms as he started to remove their clothing. She pulled her mouth reluctantly away to help, and soon they were naked and in the other’s arms once more.

“Be with us, Kitty,” Rich said, looking down at her.

Kit felt Rich’s length against her belly and shuddered. How would she manage all three of them?

Gabriel and Loki continued watching, feeling themselves grow hard against each other. They started kissing, unable to resist the pull of the sexual energy building in the room. Loki hitched Gabriel’s thigh on his hip, and they ground against each other and moaned, rubbing their clothed cocks together filthily.

“I know about the runes, you naughty angel,” Loki said, biting on Gabriel’s earlobe. “What should I do to you for that?”

“Whatever you want…” Gabriel moaned. “But you know you owe me.”

“Brat…”

Kit was being walked backwards by Rich to the bed, and he supported her with his arms as he laid her down across it. He gazed down at her, drinking her in.

“I want to show you how important you are to me. How I plan on taking care of you from now on,” he whispered.

She reached up and touched his face. “You already do, Rich,” she said. “You _have_ been.” She turned her head when their now two naked lovers crawled over to sit near them.

“Don’t stop on account of us,” Gabriel said, then sighed as Loki ran his fingers along his length. “We want to see you both together.”

Rich leaned down and took one of her nipples into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it. Kit moaned and grabbed his head, but didn’t take her eyes from Loki’s hand on Gabriel’s cock. The trickster was giving Gabriel long, firm strokes, and Gabriel kept his eyes on hers as they were both pleasured.

“So beautiful, Kit. Both our—AH! Loki!—humans, so gorgeous…”

Rich massaged her other breast with his hand, and Kit whimpered and bit her lip. Loki turned his eyes to her, and she saw that his eyes no longer glowed with his power, but blazed with lust. He looked hungrily at Rich’s mouth and hands on her, and she saw his cock twitch between his legs.

“Don’t keep those sounds from us, Kitten. We want to hear them,” he said, his voice deep with arousal. “They do things to us.”

Rich popped her nipple out of his mouth and switched over to her other breast. Kit gave in and cried out as he sucked it between his lips and flicked his tongue over it. “Rich!”

“Suck her tits, Baby,” Loki said, stroking Gabriel faster and harder. “Get her wet.”

Groaning, Rich rut his hips against Kit’s, and she let her legs fall open so he could settle between them. She felt his cock against her belly again, leaking precum, and she arched against it.

“I need… I need…” she whined.

Rich raised his head. “What do you need, Kitty?”

She pressed her hips against him. “There,” she moaned. “There.”

He smiled and moved his fingers down between them to slip through her folds. “You want me to touch you here?”

“Play with her pussy, Rich,” Gabriel said, licking his lips. He had his head leaning on Loki’s shoulder. The trickster was teasing him with slow strokes as they watched. “Make her cum on your fingers…”

“What are we, a free show?” Kit panted, smiling.

“You’ve been watching us, Kit-Kat. Why can’t we?” he teased with flushed cheeks.

“Less talking. More fucking,” Loki growled, pushing Gabriel over to his hands and knees and swiping his tongue over the archangel’s hole.

“Fuck, Loki!”

“I agree with Loki,” Rich said, then thrust two fingers into Kit and started to pump them deep and hard inside her. “I want you, Kit.”

Gabriel and Kit’s cries filled the room for the next several minutes as they were deliciously pleasured by Loki and Rich. At one point Gabriel took one of Kit’s hands and they held them tightly against the bed, staring at each other, their voices rising and falling together.

When Gabriel was opened to Loki’s satisfaction, Loki pressed his hips against him and thrust inside, setting a sedate pace, groaning as the archangel’s tight channel squeezed him. “Always good for me, Angel,” he moaned. “Never get tired of fucking you.”

“Yeeesss,” Gabriel moaned in reply. “Oh your cock, Loki. Isn’t his cock wonderful, Kit?” he asked, looking at her with half-lidded eyes.

Kit was unable to answer. Rich was twisting his fingers inside her, looking for that place that he knew would send her over. She was tossing her head, digging her nails into Gabriel’s hand. The sounds coming from between her thighs spurred Loki on, and Gabriel started to shout as Loki found his own sweet spot.

“Make them cum at the same time, Rich,” Loki panted, gripping Gabriel’s hips tightly. He slapped his thighs hard against Gabriel’s ass, dragging his cock along the archangel’s prostate. “Have them scream together.”

Rich crooked his fingers and Kit’s legs started to spasm. “There ya go, Kit, there ya go,” he said, looking into her face. “Cum for me.” He massaged her hard, bringing his other hand down to circle her clit rapidly. “Let go.”

Loki and Rich worked them hard and quickly, then as if on queue they both took a deep breath and screamed their lover’s names, Gabriel striping the bed beneath him, Kit drenching Rich’s hand and fingers.

Loki also came, Gabriel’s clenching walls crashing him over the edge. He fell over Gabriel’s back, and they rolled to the side, sweating and gasping.

Rich spread Kit’s legs wider and threw them over his shoulders, unable to wait any longer. Seeing them all reach sexual bliss had him clamoring for his own. He sheathed himself within her very wet and swollen depths and nearly came at just how perfect she felt around him.

Kit had released Gabriel’s hand and dug her fingers into the bedspread. “Rich! Oh God! Please!” She squeezed her legs on his shoulders. “Make me cum again! I want it!”

“I’ll make you cum whenever you want, Darlin’,” he said, bending over until her knees touched her chest. He braced his hands on either side of her hips, then started to pound into her. She was still so sensitive from her earlier orgasm that she came again, and Rich praised her for it.

“Oh Kit, you feel so amazing. We are so lucky to have you,” he groaned, snapping his hips harder. “Going to be so happy with you, always so happy…”

Gabriel and Loki, still high on their afterglow, gathered around them. “You want us to take you too, Kitten?” Loki asked, tracing the side of her face with a finger.

Kit arched her back when Rich thrust in to the hilt so he could reach down and kiss her. “We can keep going as long as you want. This is your special time,” he said.

An overwhelming feeling of belonging filled her, making her lower lip tremble and her eyes water. The next thing she knew Rich was lying fully on top of her, her legs no longer on his shoulders. Gabriel was on one side, Loki on the other. Rich had both his arms under her shoulders, holding her tight against him. Loki and Gabriel had each slipped an arm beneath her and thrown their other arms over Rich’s back, pulling them all as close together as they possibly could.

It was a tight, intimate hug, and she slowly returned it by pushing her arms up between Rich’s to place them over Gabriel’s and Loki’s.

“Don’t cry,” she heard Rich whisper into her ear. “Don’t cry, beautiful girl.”

“I’m so happy,” she choked out. “I’m so happy to have a”—she moved her eyes over to Loki—“a family. A home.”

“We’ll have to make sure it stays that way,” Gabriel said.

They all turned to him. “It will,” Rich said, giving Gabriel a look that said: Not now.

Loki caught the exchange, making a note to discuss it privately with them later. He then touched his lips to Kit’s neck. “I think we were talking about making Kit cum over and over as much as she wanted?”

Rich relaxed and focused on Kit again. “I think we were.” He rolled his hips against her, his cock slipping up and down her folds and making them both shudder. “What do you want, Kitty?”

She sighed, feeling the heat in her belly gather once more. “You guys are too tempting to say no to,” she said.

“What the lady wants, the lady gets,” Gabriel said.

Rich entered her once more. Gabriel and Loki touched and caressed them while he pushed in and out of her firmly and smoothly, and Rich kept kissing her face and neck throughout.

“All night,” he whispered. The sun had set long ago. “All night we’re going to show you…”

“Please…”

Rich drove into her again and again, swallowing her cries with his kisses. Kit would realize later that each of her lovers felt different inside of her, that she would be able to differentiate between them. It wasn’t that they were different anatomically—they each gave her pleasure in their own unique way.

When they came, Rich pulsing deeply inside of Kit, Loki marveled at how perfect they looked. Gabriel wanted to lick all the sweat off their bodies, but he knew he could wait until later.

Rich pressed his forehead to Kit’s and kissed her. “More?” he panted, staring into her eyes.

She reached out with her hands blindly and felt Gabriel and Loki take them. “I want to be with each of you tonight. Please…”

Loki tangled his fingers in Rich’s hair and lifted his human man’s head. “Looks like you get a break, Baby.” He gave him a wet, open-mouthed kiss, and Kit watched, her eyes wide with desire.

Rich moaned into Loki’s mouth, then slowly pulled away as he lifted himself from Kit. “I’ll be wanting more of where that came from,” he said to Loki before going to sit by Gabriel, who latched himself onto him.

“Plenty available,” Loki winked. He then knelt before Kit, lifting her legs into the air in a spread “V” position. “So fucking gorgeous, Kitten,” he said, gripping her ankles as he plunged into her.

“AH! AH! AH!” Kit was jostled on the bed, Loki thrusting deeply inside her over and over again. He tossed his head back at how hot and wet she was.

“Fuck! All that cum inside you already. UH!”

Gabriel shuddered against Rich’s chest. “She’s gonna be so full of us, Baby,” he said. Rich moaned at his words. “I want to—”

“I know,” Rich said. He felt Gabriel mouthing at his neck and he tilted his head to give him easier access. Gabriel sucked and licked, leaving marks that wouldn’t last very long, but they both knew they would linger long enough to make the archangel happy.

“I wanna fuck you later,” Gabriel whispered. “Then I want to watch Loki fuck you while I fuck her.”

“We have forever, Gabriel,” Rich moaned. “We don’t have to do everything in one night.”

“I want to do everything every night,” Gabriel said. “I want us to be sloppy and covered in sweat and cum when we wake up in the morning. Want the mattress to be soaked all the way down to the box-spring.”

They jerked their heads up at the sound of Kit whining loudly. Loki had thrown both her legs over one shoulder and was thrusting into her relentlessly. His arms were wrapped tight around her thighs, keeping them pressed firmly against his chest as he worked his hips faster and harder.

“Fuck…” Gabriel breathed. He turned Rich’s head towards him so he could kiss him deeply. “All ours,” he spoke against Rich’s lips. “We’re all ours.”

Rich felt himself stirring, then they both again moved their gazes to their other lovers at the sound of Loki’s deep, guttural groan. Loki’s hips had stilled, though they were jerking slightly, indicating that he was in the throes of orgasm. Kit’s eyes had squeezed shut, and she was heaving and gasping through her own climax.

“OK, my lovelies, we need to take a short breather,” Gabriel said. He twirled his fingers and a tray appeared by the bed with water and juice. “Hydrate!” he ordered.

Loki and Kit couldn’t move very well at the moment, their exertions had been so intense, so Gabriel and Rich helped them with drinking. Rich supported Kit’s head, letting her use a straw to finish her glass while Gabriel tipped a water bottle to Loki’s lips as the trickster god leaned heavily against him.

“Gabriel, if you think nightly sex-a-thons are going to be the norm…” Rich began when they had finished.

Gabriel sighed as he flicked his wrist and the tray disappeared. “It was just a little fantasy of mine. Can’t blame me, right?”

Rich crept over to him and pressed him to the bed. “Never,” he said, then kissed him soundly.

Arms wrapped around Rich then rolled him over. “I’d love to stay here and continue Baby,” Gabriel said, releasing his lips. “But our girl needs me.”

Rich pushed hair out of Gabriel’s face with his hand. “Don’t leave her waiting.”

Kit gasped when Gabriel suddenly appeared over her. Loki crawled over to sprawl across Rich’s chest, taking up where Gabriel left off.

“It’s been a bit for us, huh Kit-Kat?” Gabriel said, dipping his head down to kiss her tenderly. “Want to have another go?”

She lifted her legs and wrapped them around his hips, locking her ankles at the small of his back. “Can I have more than one?”

He grabbed her head between his hands and slammed his lips to hers as his cock also slammed inside of her at the same time. She shouted into his mouth, and he moved furiously against her, reveling in the feel of how slippery wet she was.

Gabriel then pushed himself to his hands, leaning back so he could look down to see his cock moving in and out of her slit. All of their combined cum was being pushed out over his cock and slipping down between her thighs and over his testicles. It made him moan, wanting to cum right then and there.

“You’re so full of cum, Kit,” he said. “Can’t wait to taste you with all of us.”

“Gabriel,” she whimpered.

He increased his pace. “Just for me,” he panted. “Just for me.”

“Yes! Just for you!” She leaned up on her elbows and started to push her hips against him. “My full pussy is just for you!”

Loki bit into Rich’s lip at her words. “He’s corrupted her,” he whispered against Rich’s mouth.

Rich hissed at the pain. “Why are you surprised?” he asked.

Laving his tongue at the small hurt, Loki replied, “I didn’t say it was a bad thing, Baby. Now, spread your legs so I can play with your hole properly.”

Loki was two fingers deep in Rich when Gabriel dove in for his “snack.” Kit nearly screamed at the feel of his tongue on and inside of her, and his joyful and hungry moans of delight had her cumming over and over.

He raised his head, his face and lips sticky and wet. “Sweet, sweet ambrosia, Kit-Kat. You have no idea how addicted I am to this.”

They then continued taking each other throughout the rest of the night, stopping for periodic breaks whenever Gabriel felt that Kit needed them. There was no rhyme or rhythm, it just went as they wanted it to. Gabriel, Rich, and Loki learned all of Kit’s needs and wants, and she learned theirs. There were some misfires along the way that were quickly soothed and forgiven, but it was clear that the four were made for each other.

Towards dawn Kit was riding Rich, with Loki behind her. Gabriel was kneeling in front of her, feeding his cock into her mouth. All four were nearly hoarse from shouting in ecstasy from hours of sex.

“Fuck, so tight. Feel your cock in her pussy, Baby,” Loki groaned to Rich, pounding Kit’s ass. “Damn this is good.”

Kit braced her arms on Rich’s chest. She was so full of cock—in her ass, her pussy, her mouth. She loved the taste of Gabriel’s cum, was pleasantly surprised at finding out why Loki loved cherries so much. She slurped her tongue around the archangel’s weeping slit like she was starving, and it made Gabriel cry out wantonly.

“I’m gonna write songs about that sinful tongue of yours, beautiful,” he said, clutching her hair between his fingers. “Songs about this night! Holy shit!”

Rich leaned up and licked at Gabriel’s testicles swinging just above his face. He felt like he was on fire. Like Gabriel had wanted, they were all wet and sticky, the bed damp with their fluids. He even had a feeling that the wall had some marks on it from some of their more enthusiastic endeavors from earlier.

He smiled inwardly at the memory of the damage to his bedroom wall from his first tryst with the archangel. They’d definitely left their mark then.

Soon their hours of intense pleasuring of one another crescendoed, and absolute bliss swamped over them in powerful waves. They all fell into a pile of sweat-covered limbs. Hands and arms reached out for each other, legs were entangled. Kisses and sighs were exchanged, murmurs and sweet-nothings uttered. A flare of warmth spread between the four of them, but none of them noticed in their post-sex haze.

They just knew that their bond with each other had been sealed.

And they would never willingly sleep apart ever again.

* * *

Kit awoke to an empty bed.

She knew that that wasn’t right.

Rolling over, she looked about the hotel room, noticing that it was empty as well. She sat up abruptly, a mixture of fear and worry shooting through her.

Where were they?

She crawled off the bed, tugging the bedsheet off to wrap around her. She didn’t know what she should do. Walk out into the hallway? Climb out the window? She had no number to call; they didn’t have any cell phones.

She started to feel her head swim. Did they leave?

She went to the window, drawing back the curtains. The sun was high in the sky, indicating that it was well past morning.

“Gabriel? Loki?” she said, not knowing what else to do but call their names.

She turned around, heading for the door. She hesitated for a moment, then opened it and looked out into the hallway. “Rich?”

No one was there. It seemed like she was completely alone.

She started to shake, to breathe hard and unevenly.

Just when she was about to run down the hallway in a panic, she jumped when the bathroom door opened. Whirling around, her eyes widened at the sight of Rich entering the room, a towel wrapped around his waist.

He took one look at her and in a handful of quick strides, he was by her side, a hand on the side of her face, the other on her arm.

“Darlin’, what is it? Why are you standing here?” he asked, looking at her in concern.

“Y-You were all gone…” Her eyes filled with tears. “I called for you and you didn’t answer me…”

He pulled her close, kissing her face and rocking her in his arms. “I’m so sorry, Kit. Gabriel and Loki went to get breakfast, and I was taking a quick shower. I thought I’d be out before you woke up.” He looked into her face. “Didn’t you hear the water running?”

She shook her head. “I just knew that I was alone. I was just focused on that.” She leaned her head against his chest. “I was afraid you had all left me.”

Rich placed two fingers under her chin and tilted her head up until her eyes met his. “We would never leave you, Kit. We belong to you, and you belong to us. We…” He seemed to fumble for the right words, unsure of what to say, and lowered his eyes.

“I know what you’re feeling, and I’m afraid to say them too,” Kit said understandingly, placing her hand over his heart. She believed him, and it had slowly calmed the fear and anxiety that had filled her. “We’ll say them when the time is right.”

“You’re a wonder, Kitty,” Rich breathed, looking into her eyes. He kissed her lips and clasped the back of her neck with his other hand. “I’m so glad that we can be this way together now.”

She smiled. “Me too.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “You know,” she said, wanting to change the subject a little. “I always thought that you were handsome.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Always?”

“Of course. Do you think I acted so awkward and silly at my interview on purpose?”

“You were adorable and endearing at that interview! It’s why I hired you,” he said, pecking her on the lips. “You were _real._ I wanted someone like that working for me.”

“Well I’m glad that I got the position,” she laughed.

“You got that and more,” he said, kissing her tenderly.

They heard footsteps coming down the hallway from the still partly open door. They broke their kiss and Kit stepped away towards the bathroom.

“I’m going to get my own shower. Hopefully, the guys will be back when I’m done.”

“I’ll be right here the entire time,” he said, reaching out and catching her fingers. “I promise.”

She gave him a bright smile that made his heart leap in his chest. “I’ll see you in a bit, then.”

* * *

“And that’s the plan,” Gabriel was saying as he and Loki walked up the street back to the hotel. He was holding a tray of coffee while Loki carried a bag of fresh pastries. “Gabe and Richard agreed to help, thankfully, so I guess for now we give Sam, Dean, and Cas their week to find leads on the asswipe who started all this mess.”

Loki had remained very quiet while Gabriel caught him up on what had transpired in the real world. The frown lines in his face had deepened with every word. He clutched the bag in his hand so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

“Rich and Kit are right,” he said in a low voice.

Gabriel sighed and stopped walking, letting his shoulders sag. “I knew that you were going to say something about that.”

Loki turned on his heel and faced him. “Of course I am. You and I are the most arrogant people we both know. We should realize how our actions make others feel.”

“Look at us, having a ‘grown-up’ conversation,” Gabriel said, shifting his feet and looking at the ground. He took a deep breath. “Been having a lot of those lately.”

“Life is getting more real for us. It’s to be expected,” Loki said, reaching out and cupping Gabriel’s cheek.

“Too real,” Gabriel said, raising his head. “He was terrible, Loki, what he did.”

Loki stepped forward and kissed him. “I’ll be with you next time, Angel. We’ll find a way.”

“But Loki,” Gabriel said, his voice and body beginning to shake. “He’s so strong. What can we possibly do?”

“We’ll find a way,” Loki repeated. “To protect them, we’ll find a way.”

“But what if the only way is to—”

Loki put his finger to Gabriel’s lips. “Stop it. You’re only going to make yourself sick if you keep thinking like that. We’ll talk to the Guardians; he’s their kin. They’ll have some idea of what we can do.”

Gabriel closed his eyes and nodded. Loki removed his finger and reached down to lift the tray of drinks out of the archangel’s hands since he was still trembling.

Gabriel opened his eyes at Loki’s actions and looked at him questionably.

“I’ll carry them the rest of the way,” Loki said, smiling softly.

“Thank you.” As they turned to continue walking, Gabriel leaned his head on Loki’s shoulder and wrapped an arm around his waist. “I love you.”

Loki opened his mouth, the words right on the tip of his tongue. _Say them,_ he heard Kit’s voice say in his head.

“And I you,” he said instead.

The meaning was there, and he knew Gabriel knew what he meant, but to him, the words sounded flat to his ears.

 _Someday,_ he thought. _Someday…_

* * *

**_Earth: Montana - Three Earth days later_ **

“Either we’re losing our touch, or Cormac anticipated what we planned to do,” Sam said, snapping the laptop closed. He leaned back in the chair at the kitchen table, running his hands down his face. “I can find absolutely nothing like we found before.”

Dean was making a turkey sandwich at the bar. “There’s gotta be something going on,” he insisted. He took a swig of the beer he held in his hand. “He wouldn’t have just _one_ lackey.”

“I’m serious, Dean! There’s nothing!”

Cas was flipping through the news channels on the TV doing his own search. “I’ve yet to see anything here as well,” he said. He’d spent the entire seventy-two hours since Gabriel and Rich had left watching broadcast after broadcast, switching stations during commercials or unrelated segments. It was boring and monotonous, but he did it for the good of his friends.

“There’s something that we’re missing, or an angle that we haven’t considered using yet,” Sam said, getting up and going to stand behind the couch where Cas was sitting. “We’ve only a few more days until the others get here. We need to find it.”

“Too bad there’s no Angel Radio here,” Dean said, slathering mustard on a slice of bread. “Cas might be able to get a lot of help that way. No telling how many angels from the show are out running around with their performers right now, or other characters for that matter.”

Cas dropped the remote and turned around to stare wide-eyed at Sam, who looked down at him with the same expression. The same thought had occurred to them at the same time.

“Shit!” they both exclaimed.

Dean paused, his beer halfway to his lips. “What?”

“We need to go!” Sam said, rushing about and gathering whatever he could grab. Cas had already jumped to his feet and had sprinted down the hallway to fetch the duffel bag that Gabriel had left behind in the hallway closet.

Dean looked back and forth. “What is going on?!” he demanded.

“We forgot about them!” Sam said, taking the duffel bag from Cas when he returned into the kitchen. “For all we know they’re hurt!”

“Who?!”

“Our own performers!”

Dean slammed his beer on the bar. “Son of a bitch! Why did—” He cut himself off. “That stupid water whatever the hell it was… It drew us out!”

They quickly prepared to leave, taking whatever they could with them. Dean pocketed Gabriel’s cell phone for Cas, stating that the archangel would pay for pissing him off with “that Candyland bullshit.” Cas left a hastily written note on the island, explaining the reason for their departure. “I hope that they don’t worry,” he said as he joined Sam and Dean at the front door.

“They’ll understand. We had no choice,” Sam replied, turning the handle.

“We have the cell phones, and Gabriel can get to us fast if need be,” Dean added, following Sam out when his brother opened the door.

Cas went behind him, then closed the front door. He turned and double-checked the warding. “I hope so.”

“Come on,” Sam said. “It’s a bit of a walk to town, and it’ll take some careful planning to make our way to Texas.”

“I’m guessing we’ll be hanging out in the bottoms of airplanes a lot,” Dean grumbled.

“Better than walking all the way there,” Cas said.

“Shut up. At least it’s not as far for you to get to Washington,” Dean snapped as they started down the driveway. “Whoever decided to make me afraid of flying, I swear...”


	9. Writing's On The Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally got around to posting the next chapter in this giant series! I completed a fic exchange last month (which you can find [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Dickmas_2020) if you're curious - all fics have a Rich character as a main character) and like the "wise" person that I am, I've decided to dive headfirst into a bang!
> 
> But this part is finished and proofed, so I'll post as I can.
> 
> ___________
> 
> Trigger Warning: Violence

_**Fictional World - Trondheim, Norway** _

Kit had never been happier in her life.

As the days went on, she discovered something new about the three men in her life.

She had known from the start that Loki had a rough, stern exterior—he frowned a lot, glared a lot, seemed distrustful and suspicious of everything. Yet she had come to learn that inside he was fiercely protective, gentle, kind, and had a sweet tooth that would terrify a dentist. She sometimes caught him gazing at her or their other lovers with fondness and a soft smile, and she wondered what he was thinking while doing it.

Gabriel was the mediator. He hated conflict. Always jumped in with a funny word or joke to help calm tense situations. Always wanted everyone to be happy and get along. He insisted on being the one who hugged away the tears, chased the nightmares away. He also demanded to be in the middle at night when they slept, next to her, much to Rich and Loki’s consternation.

And then there was Rich. She technically knew the most about him, obviously. However, she hadn’t known about how so forgiving he was, how very understanding he was. He put her, Gabriel, and Loki first, saying that they were his gifts, his treasures, and that he needed to take care of them.

She had cried when he said that.

And then, along with Gabriel and Loki, she had expressed to Rich how much those words had meant to her for hours.

They were back at Loki’s house three weeks later. She was in the huge bed, curled up on her side and looking out the window. Gabriel and Loki were stretched out in the middle of the bed, lying side by side, talking quietly to one another. They were all in their sleepwear, having slept late. Rich had gotten up a short while earlier, insisting that he needed coffee.

“Gabriel wants to go to Paris for dinner,” Loki said, rolling over to his side to look at Kit.

Kit raised her head and made a face. “He wants snails, doesn’t he?”

“You guys always complain about good food!” Gabriel huffed, lifting his head from where he’d had it resting over his crossed arms. “I’ve made dinner the past three nights! I want to eat out!”

“But snails?”

“You don’t have to eat them!”

“We’ll go if you want, Angel,” Loki sighed. “But no making disgusting noises while you eat them.” He reached out and ran fingers up Kit’s ankle. “You made her nearly choke last time.”

“Fine,” Gabriel huffed. “We can let Kit-Kat pick.” He raised an eyebrow at Kit’s soft sighs. “But first…”

* * *

Rich paused on his way down the hallway, smiling at the familiar sounds of his lovers being intimate with each other. He closed his eyes at the higher-pitched wails of Kit overlapping the deeper moans and groans of Loki and Gabriel. It was a beautiful symphony to his ears.

He walked the rest of the way to the bedroom and quietly entered, drinking in the sight before him. The three beings who had his heart writhed and twisted on the bed, gasping for air and crying out each other’s names. Kit was bouncing on Gabriel’s lap, Loki behind her with his hands on her hips, guiding her up and down hard on the archangel’s cock. He was rolling his hips against her, sliding the head of his cock firmly between her ass cheeks.

Rich stripped his clothes and quickly made his way to the bed, walking on his knees towards them. They were moving urgently, and he knew that they were all close.

Gabriel turned his head to him, his cheeks flushed. “‘Bout...time...you got...here...Baby,” he rasped. He held tightly to Kit. “Fuck…”

Rich reached over and ran his hands over all their bodies. They were slick with sweat. “You three look incredible. Does it feel good?”

Kit mewled. “Don’t...stop…”

“So good… Want your...ass again…” Loki gasped, swiveling his hips.

Rich grasped his cock and stroked it, immediately matching their rhythm. “Fuck, I’ve never had so much sex in my life.”

“Need help with that?” A hand curved around his stomach and Rich was pulled against a warm chest. “Don’t wanna leave you out of all the fun.”

“I won’t say no,” Rich said, turning his head and opening his mouth to kiss the clone Loki had conjured. He was soon on his back and being pounded into the mattress, and his own cries joined those of his lovers.

* * *

Later that day, when they were wrapped around one another, speaking telepathically as they’d grown accustomed to when they were all skin-to-skin, Kit mused, _It just gets better and better, doesn’t it?_

 _Hmm…_ Loki thought.

 _Is it everything you dreamed it would be?_ Gabriel asked them all. _A dream come true?_

 _No._ Rich trailed his fingers along each of their faces. _You three are my dream come true…_

At that they all kissed each other tenderly, then slept the afternoon away, secure in the warmth and comfort of their lovers beside them.

* * *

They chose the next morning to talk to Kit about their plans to go after Cormac.

She was _not_ happy.

“Why did you wait so long to tell me?!” she shouted, jumping to her feet from where they were all sitting on the couch. She glared at each of them in turn. “I’m not some fragile little—”

“You were so happy, Kit,” Gabriel said, raising his hands to stop her from yelling. “We just wanted to keep your mind off of everything that was happening for a while.”

“Well,” she said, crossing her arms and feeling tears pricking the corners of her eyes and looking down at the floor. “This is a hell of a way to ruin it all.”

Rich stood and went to take her hands, but she shook her head. He sighed and tried to catch her eye by tilting his head down into her line of vision. She darted her eyes to his. “I’m sorry, Darlin’. We shouldn't have kept this from you.”

She sniffed. “No, you shouldn’t have.” She dropped her arms and looked at Gabriel. “You were hurt! Bad hurt! Like I was!” The tears escaped her eyes and she ran her hands through her hair. “Do you have any idea what’s going through my head right now?!”

Gabriel was immediately in front of her, pulling her into his arms. “I want to say that I do, but I can’t, sweetheart,” he said, cradling her against him. “And I’m so damn sorry. We know better than to do this. You deserve better.”

She leaned her head against his chest. “Please don’t do this to me again. You told me that I’m a part of you all too, remember?”

“So you are,” Loki said. He had come to stand by their side.

She turned her head, keeping it on Gabriel’s chest. “Thank you.”

“No more,” Loki said, looking into each of his lovers’ eyes. “ _No. More._ ”

They all agreed, and kisses were shared.

* * *

**_The Summit_ **

All too soon, they were stepping out of a portal into the Summit. Gabriel and Loki had decided to come back a few days earlier to go over Sam’s plans one more time with Gabe and Richard, and also to talk to the Guardians about Cormac.

However, Kit was a little apprehensive about her and Rich remaining behind at the house while everyone else ran off to confront the insane ex-Guardian.

“I know that we’ll be able to pray to you, which I’m still trying to wrap my head around,” she said, sitting in a chair in the Boss’ chambers. “But, we won’t know where you’ll be, or how long you’ll be gone. Or even if you’ll be able to do anything.”

Gabriel took her hand. “We’ll have to see what Sam and the others have found. I’m sorry that there are so many unknowns until then, sweetheart.”

“And as to actually fighting in some way against Cormac,” Loki started, turning to the Guardians, who both gave him their attention. “Is there anything that your kind is weak against? Anything that we can use to at least subdue him?”

The two beings shared a look. “We’ve discussed this with our other siblings,” the Boss said, turning back to him. “We want to bring him back here, try to help him.”

There was a stunned silence, broken only by the sound of Kit standing up and slamming the door behind her as she left the room. Richard waited a moment then was right behind her, slamming the door even harder and making the others jump.

The four remaining people stared at the Guardians.

“Boss?” Gabe asked, shaken. “Wh-What do you mean?”

She sighed. “Regardless of what he’s done, he’s still one of us. He’s a Guardian. He’s needed—”

“He’s needed for jack-shit!” Gabriel stood abruptly, clenching his fist. “That bastard tortured Kit! Nearly killed her! Killed ME!”

“He’s somehow possessed other characters! Richard’s friends!” Gabe was on his feet now. “Fuck, B! Yours and his _world_ are hanging on by a thread!”

B lowered his head. “If he can be helped—”

“Fuck that!” Rich said. They all turned to him. He had his hands clasped before him and was staring down at them, shaking in fury. “That piece of shit seems to be obsessed with me and everyone I care about, every _thing_ I care about.” He snapped his head up and glared daggers at the Guardians. “I want him dead.”

“That’s not your decision to make,” the Boss said.

“It’s his _right_ to make,” Loki said in a voice that could melt steel. He glowered at the female Guardian. “And it’s the _only_ decision that should be made.”

“There’s no way to do it,” B said, folding his arms. “So it’s pointless to even consider it.”

“I seem to recall that you almost died,” Gabriel snapped.

B’s face fell, and Gabriel couldn’t help but snark, “Thought so.”

“I don’t want us to part as enemies,” the Boss said, attempting to get the conversation back in hand. The tension and anger in the room were extremely palpable. “I want to help, but I don’t want any more unnecessary bloodshed.”

“So tell us how to at least restrain him in some way,” Loki said. He raised his hand when Rich shot him an angry look. “It’ll give us a fighting chance.”

She sighed. “It’s exceedingly dangerous, even for a Guardian.”

Loki crossed his arms. “Then we’ll have to be _exceedingly_ careful, won’t we?”

* * *

Richard was very concerned and worried about the human woman who was walking up and down the length of the pantry room. She had an arm wrapped around her stomach and she was tapping her lips with her fingers. She kept murmuring words under breath, eyes darting back and forth.

When they had both first entered the room, they had sat at the table, becoming lost in their thoughts as they tried to deal with what they’d just heard from the Guardians. They hadn’t spoken to one another, but he’d known what she’d been through more or less. When Kit had jumped up and started pacing, Richard had just watched her, then slowly made his way over to the room’s entrance as she progressed to her current state.

“Kit?” he asked. “Kit?” he said once again, a little louder.

She kept moving, looking more frantic. If he didn’t know any better, he would say that she was behaving like a caged animal.

He didn’t know what to do!

“I’m going to get your boys,” he said calmly. “Just stay in here, OK?”

She didn’t reply, not that he had expected her to.

* * *

In Kit’s mind, she was back in the cell in that place Cormac had taken her to. She was so afraid she’d be there again! He wasn't going to be stopped! He was going to be allowed to go free! He’d keep coming after her, chasing her forever! He’d chase after Rich, too! Neither of them would be safe, and Loki and Gabriel would get hurt trying to protect them—

She nearly stumbled. Gabriel! He had gotten hurt already! Her angel! Yes! He was her angel, and even angels weren’t safe from him. What could she do? It would never end! Her life was one big living hell. She had been so happy, and now it was hell…

“Sweetheart?”

She stopped, turned.

She saw eyes the color of amber, her favorite color, looking at her from within three faces, each identical, yet each so vastly different.

And each were her favorite as well.

“Are you OK?”

Was she?

She was feeling calmer with them near her. But, were they _safe_ when they were so close?

“Kitten…talk to us.”

And was Loki right when he’d told her about words too? Could they be used to hurt them by Cormac as well?

But she couldn’t be apart from them. She knew she couldn’t.

“He’s going to get me.”

“Never!” Gabriel dashed across the room, wrapping her in his arms. “Never Kit! Even if I have to take you and Rich and run across the worlds for eternity—he’ll never get you.”

She collapsed into his arms. “Why do they want—”

“We’ll talk about it later,” Loki said, walking up with Rich behind him. “We all need time to just rest after the events of today.”

Gabriel brushed his fingers through Kit’s hair. “He’s right. We all just need a good night’s sleep.”

“And when he says ‘sleep,’ he means just that: sleep,” Rich said. He sounded tired in more ways than one.

Kit nodded. She was tired too.

“Come on, sweet girl. Let me carry you to bed,” Gabriel said, swinging her into his arms.

“Thank you,” she said, winding her arms around his neck.

“Anytime,” he answered, then followed the rest of their quad out on to the pathway.

* * *

Gabe held Richard tightly to him as they walked to their room. He’d caught the human by the arm when he had come running wide-eyed into the Boss’ chambers worried about Kit. Gabe could tell that Richard was barely keeping it together.

Once they were inside, Gabe led him to the bed and laid them both down. “Let it out,” he whispered.

Richard shuddered, dug his fingers into the back of Gabe’s shirt, then buried his face in Gabe’s chest and wailed.

Gabe wrapped his arms around him, rocking him. “Shh, I’m here. I’m here. I love you.” Soon, this would end, and Richard wouldn’t have to be afraid anymore. And they could finally find that island they dreamed about and be happy.

“He can’t win, Gabe,” Richard choked out. “I can’t lose you. Promise me that I won’t lose you.” He tugged himself closer. “Don’t leave me…”

“I won’t, Richard. I promise.” Gabe gently raised Richard’s face and kissed him. “I promise.”

“I love you, Gabe,” Richard whispered.

“I love you.”

* * *

Loki opened his eyes to see Rich propped up from his place beside Kit. He was gazing down at her as she slept with her head tucked in under Gabriel’s chin. Loki leaned up to look over the archangel’s shoulder and saw Gabriel lightly running his hand down her back.

“She woke up a little during the night,” Gabriel whispered. “Just for a handful of seconds.”

“Nightmare?” Loki asked.

“I heard her whimper,” Rich said softly.

“She’s afraid,” Gabriel said.

“We all are.” Rich raised his eyes to Gabriel and Loki. “Guys, I,” he swallowed. “I love you. I…” He closed his eyes, then opened them as he looked back down at Kit. “I love her. I don’t want us to lose each other because of what’s about to happen.”

“I love you all too, dear heart. More than ever,” Gabriel replied. Loki moved nearer to him, then smiled softly when the archangel reached out to pull Rich closer to them all. “Remember what I told you back at home? The universe couldn’t keep us apart; some crazed maniac doesn’t stand a chance.”

Loki was quiet, but felt a surge of protectiveness and deep emotions well up inside of him. He buried his face into Gabriel’s hair and threw his arm across the archangel and Kit, stretching out until Rich gripped it with his own.

“Loki?” Gabriel and Rich said.

“Just let us be this way for a moment,” he said. “Please.”

Kit stirred. “Hmm...”

“Shhh, baby girl,” Gabriel said. “It’s alright.”

“Warm,” she sighed against his neck.

He smiled along with Rich and Loki. “Yeah, hon. It is.”

They all felt her stiffen as she woke up entirely. “It’s morning,” she said.

“Yeah, Darlin’, it is,” Rich said quietly.

She raised her head and looked into Gabriel’s face. “Do I have to stay behind? I want to help.”

Gabriel looked up at Rich and took a deep breath. “Sweetheart, it’s not as if we don’t want all the help that we can get…” the archangel said.

Kit set her jaw. “I’m tired of feeling helpless! I’ve had to be strong for myself all my life. I had no choice but to learn to do so. No one ever cared for me growing up but one person, and I had her torn away from me and all I could do was watch it happen.” She started to move within their hold, trying to pull away. “Do you think I want to do the exact same thing again?!”

They all stared at her as angry tears poured down her face and she wrenched herself from their arms. “I watched you for weeks, arguing over not wanting to lose one another, how it would hurt and destroy you. And now…now you both”—she looked straight at Gabriel and Loki—”are going to face that monster, leave me and Rich…” She laid a trembling hand on Rich’s side. “I don’t understand it! We should all be together! Don’t leave us behind!”

“Kit, we love you! We just want you to be safe!” Gabriel said.

Kit felt more tears well up in her eyes. “Gabriel…”

“Don’t tell me that you didn’t know, Darlin’,” Rich said, taking her hand as he sat up.

“No… I mean, yes, I did. It's just…” She covered her mouth with her other hand.

Loki also sat up and took her arm, pulling her hand away from her face. “Don’t hide, Kit,” he chastised her gently.

* * *

She fought to calm herself down. She’d known how they’d felt, but having it out in the open, hearing them tell her... She wanted to say the words back, had wanted to say them back for a while, but her thoughts from earlier rang through her head. However, she had to push them away for now, her fear of the immediate future at the forefront of her mind.

She took a deep breath and gripped Rich’s hand. “Then you must understand how hard it is for me, right?”

“Gabriel and I had a very similar argument,” Rich said, raising her hand to his lips and kissing it softly. “I don’t like it either, Kitty. But we have to sit it out. I’m sorry.”

She regarded him sadly. “How can you bear the thought of it though, Rich? We all…” She took her hand from his, brought it to her chest and closed her eyes. She swayed gently. “We all filled the empty places we each had in our hearts.”

She gasped as she was pulled forward into their embrace. They were all on their knees, and Gabriel wrapped his arms around her waist while Rich hugged them both on their right and Loki their left.

“That right there is the reason that we have to keep you safe, Kit,” Gabriel whispered into her ear. “We can’t let that monster anywhere near you again. You are too pure, too kind, for him or anyone else like him to ever have.”

“But what about you and Loki?” Kit’s voice wavered. “You’re all that too.”

“Trust us, Kit,” Loki said. She turned to him, saw the conviction in his eyes. “Please.”

“I trust them, Kitty,” Rich said.

She shared a look with him. “I do too. I trust all of you.”

Rich kissed her, slow and easy. “That’s my beautiful girl.”

She sighed against his mouth. “When do we have to go back?”

Gabriel kissed down her neck, making her moan. “We still have a couple of days.”

“Good,” Loki purred, then took Gabriel’s earlobe in his mouth, sucking on it, making the archangel moan against Kit’s throat.

“Wanna make love, beautiful?” Rich said, licking her lips.

“As long as I get to be with all of you,” she said breathlessly.

They were all soon naked, and the room filled with shouts, whimpers, cries, and soft screams. Calls of names and endearments ricocheted off the walls for the next countless minutes. Nails were dug into skin as bodies held on to other bodies. Sensitive spots were hit over and over again, lips kissed and tasted salty sweat, and tears of love ran down faces.

Over and over again, they moved against and within each other. Pushed each other closer and closer, then switched positions. They had to be with each other separately, to feel each person’s body at least once flushed against their own: Rich and Kit; Gabriel and Loki; Rich and Loki; Loki and Kit; Rich and Gabriel; Kit and Gabriel. Then all together again: Kit riding Gabriel while Loki and Rich stood near their faces to have cocks kissed and sucked; Rich behind Kit while she and Gabriel worshiped Loki’s cock. The positions were endless because of the centuries of knowledge between Loki and Gabriel.

They finished again and again, Gabriel and Loki replenishing each of them when needed, to keep going, to keep these feelings between them at their peak.

They explored with their hands, their fingers, tasted each other with their tongues. Not one part of the four’s bodies went untouched by any of them. It was if they were memorizing every part from the inside out, from the outside in.

They were making a memory.

And when they at last could move no more, and lay in the middle of the bed on shredded sheets, barely able to move and deliciously sore, they felt as they should be.

As one.

* * *

_**Earth: Montana** _

The group of four characters and two humans materialized out of thin air before the ranch house. Rich had done better this time around, though he was leaning heavily on Gabriel. Richard and Gabe were between the archangel and Loki, who was holding Kit tightly in his arms.

Kit was feeling dizzy and nauseated. She had been dreading using the Moon portal again, even with someone being right next to her in case she freaked out. She had started to feel anxious about it two nights before, and even though she had been assured that she’d be fine, it got worse. Gabriel had been afraid that he would have to put her under at one point.

She felt Loki run his hands along her back, whisper as he asked if she were OK. “I want to lie down,” she replied in a small voice, keeping her eyes closed. “Tired.”

“Inside,” Loki said. “We need to get out of the open anyway.”

They quickly made their way up the steps. Gabriel knocked, waiting for someone to open the door. When nothing happened, Gabriel turned and shared a look with Rich.

“Wonder why they aren’t letting us in?” Rich asked.

“Surely Cas knows it’s us,” Gabriel said.

He knocked harder. “Hey! Guys! Open up!”

“Is the warding still up?” Loki asked.

“I’m not feeling well,” Kit said suddenly.

They all looked at her.

“She’s gone bad pale; we need to get her inside. She doesn’t have protection from—” Rich began.

Gabriel placed his hand on the door and closed his eyes, and multiple sigils flared brightly upon it. He then opened his eyes and turned the handle, pushing the door inward. “Guys?” he called, stepping in cautiously.

There was no one there.

He looked over his shoulders, beckoned them to follow as he unsheathed his archangel blade. Loki strode forward, heading straight to the couch to place Kit down upon it. He looked at Rich, who walked over and sat by her.

 _Stay_ , Loki mouthed. He then pointed at Richard and directed him to do the same.

Gabriel placed the wards back up on the front door, and along with Loki and Gabe they searched through the rest of the house, going room by room. It didn’t take long, and they all gathered back in the living room.

“Nothing. They’re gone,” Loki said.

“They’re supposed to be here!” Gabriel said angrily. He stowed his blade back up his sleeve, scanning the area. His eyes settled on the island. “There!” he said, bounding over and picking up a piece of paper.

“What is it?” Rich asked, rubbing Kit’s arm. She had an arm thrown over her head. She was feeling better now that she was lying on her back.

“A note…from Cas,” Gabriel said as he read. “They had the sudden suspicion that what happened in China was not only a set-up, but a distraction.”

“Distraction?” Gabe asked. “Distraction from what?”

Gabriel’s eyes widened as he read further. “Their own personas.” He looked up. “They went to check on them.” He dropped the note and ran his hand down his mouth. “That was nearly a month ago our time.”

“Maybe they left a message on one of our phones,” Rich offered. He looked around. “I can’t remember where I left it…”

“They took mine. Cas has it,” Gabriel said.

Rich paused. “Right. Misha lives in Washington.”

“This it?” Richard asked, picking up a cell phone that was plugged up near one of the recliners.

“Yeah, thanks,” Rich said, taking the phone from him. He activated it and waited for all his notifications to load up. “Looking,” he said, scrolling through. “Here!” he said, sitting up. “From yesterday…”

┃Dean on way to concert with Jensen; am with Jared… haven’t heard from Cas

“Call Cas,” Gabriel said, walking to stand behind the couch. His voice was full of worry.

Rich entered Gabriel’s number by memory and they all listened to it ring and go straight to voicemail.

“Call us Cas!” Gabriel nearly shouted. “We’re back!”

Rich gripped the phone as he ended the call. “Maybe we could contact him another way?”

“How?” Gabriel asked, gripping the back of the couch.

Rich turned to him. “Pray maybe?”

Gabriel smiled softly. “Worth a try.”

* * *

Closing his eyes, Rich focused on Cas and sent out a query. He then opened his eyes and they all stared at his phone hopefully. After a couple of minutes of nothing, they all sighed in defeat.

“Guess it doesn’t work like it does with us,” Gabriel said dejectedly. He patted Rich’s shoulder. “It was a good idea though, Baby.”

“Maybe he hasn’t been able to charge it. Misha doesn't miss anything out of the ordinary,” Kit said weakly from the couch. Rich turned to her. Kit smiled softly at him.

“You feeling better, Kitty?” he asked. He helped prop her head up with a cushion. “Do you want a glass of water?”

“I think I could drink a little,” she said.

Richard, wanting to be helpful, went to get it for her, and Gabe’s expression turned thoughtful.

“How would we know if Dean even made it to the concert? Does he have a phone too?”

“I’ll call Robbie, ask about Jensen. If he’s fine, we’ll at least have some idea that way,” Rich said, lifting his phone to his ear. He had a quick conversation, Rob talking about how the concert was awesome, and that he and Jensen were going to have dinner that evening.

“Looks like he’s there,” Rich said after letting Rob go. He put his phone in his lap. “Now all we have to do is get in touch with Sam.”

“Here, Kit,” Richard said, returning with her water. “Took me a minute to find where your glasses are kept.” Kit thanked him and held it carefully.

She nearly dropped it when Rich’s phone rang. He looked at the screen and his eyes widened as he recognized Gabriel’s number. “It’s Cas!” he said. He accepted the call and put it on speaker.

“Cas!” Gabriel said in relief.

“Maybe…” a raspy voice answered.

Rich felt his blood run cold. He knew that voice.

“Who is this?” he asked.

“Ahh, well hello there. This is fortunate.”

Gabriel glowered. “Where are they? Where’s Cas?” He seemed to recognize the voice as well. “Where’s Misha?”

“You mean my other self?” the voice on the other line asked.

“Stop avoiding the questions!” Loki snapped. “What have you done with them!”

"Oh hello there! So many multiples of you around!"

Rich grit his teeth. “Where. Are. They.”

"Our performer's a hard person to find it seems." There was a disturbing chuckle. "No matter, though; I found something better..."

A chill of fear ran through everyone in the room. "What did you do to Cas?!" Gabriel shouted. "What did you do to my brother?!"

"Heh... That _is_ a good question, isn't it? The Arbiter might be willing to let you see him, if you hand over what he wants."

Gabriel looked between Rich and Kit in absolute horror.

A manic chuckle crackled over the speaker. “Think on it.”

There was a click as the call ended, and a hollow silence followed for several heartbeats until it was broken by Rich dropping the phone to the floor.

“Gabriel…”

The archangel’s eyes were glittering with tears. “Even though we're what we are... He's still my brother... I never...I never thought…” He heaved in a shaky breath. “I took it for granted..."

Loki went straight for him and pulled him close. “Angel,” he whispered.

“Who was that?” Richard asked. He had drawn close to Gabe, the pure maliciousness of the other being on the phone making him seek comfort from his boyfriend. “I-I could _feel_ the Hate in his voice…”

“Cas’ other self from the alternate verse on the show. Looks like he was here, and Cormac got him,” Rich spat out.

“He’s got Cas,” Gabriel said, straightening himself in Loki’s arms, composing himself. He wiped at his eyes and sniffed. “I’m sick and tired of this bastard hurting my family.”

Kit lowered her face. “I’m sorry, Gabriel. This is all my faul—”

"NO!" Gabriel turned and looked down at her. "No, Kit,” he said softly when she snapped her head up at the loudness of his voice. “This is..." He reached out with his hand and touched her face. "I don't know what this is anymore."

He turned to Loki. “We need to go to Washington first.”

“Gabriel…”

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. “Then what do you suggest we do first, Loki?!”

“Do you even hear yourself, Gabriel?!”

Kit touched Rich’s arm, who was staring at the archangel and trickster as they started shouting back and forth at each other. He turned to see her looking at him in distress. “Kitty?”

"I can’t handle this, Rich." She looked warily at their lovers arguing. “Help me up.”

Rich took her hands and helped her slowly from the couch. Gabriel and Loki had walked over to stand by the table, not noticing as Rich steadied her on her feet.

“I’m going to lie down,” Kit said. She closed her eyes as Gabriel’s voice rose in anger. “I can’t…”

“I’ll walk you,” Rich said, going to take her arm.

“Gabriel! We have to think through this!” Loki’s voice filled the room.

“No,” she said, stopping him. “Stay with them.”

“But—”

“We don’t have that kind of time!” Gabriel’s voice rang out.

“Please,” she said, locking her blue eyes with his worried tawny ones. “They’ll need you.”

“But what about you, Darlin’?”

“Come get me when they’re... “ she trailed off.

He nodded in understanding. “OK, sweetie. Go rest. I’ll come get you in a little bit.” He kissed her gently on the forehead. “I love you.”

They both started when the sound of Loki’s fist banging on the table resounded in the room. Kit quickly turned around and dashed down the hallway, leaving Rich staring after her for a moment before he decided to focus on Gabriel and Loki’s argument.

"...I'm just saying that maybe we should plan a better strategy with Dean and Sam,” Loki ground out.

"Fine, if that's what you want, Loki,” Gabriel fired back.

"I just want us to all get through this in one piece!"

"I just want us to get there before Cas is turned into one of those things!"

“I won’t let that happen!”

“It won’t happen at all if we leave right now!”

“LISTEN TO ME GABRIEL!”

“NO!”

“YOU STUBBORN—”

“DON’T YOU DARE—”

“GABRIEL! LOKI!”

They stopped screaming at each other, snapping their mouths shut and whirling around to see Rich standing in front of the island. He was glaring furiously at them, his hands fisted in rage at his sides. “Stop it! This is getting us absolutely nowhere!”

Gabriel opened his mouth to say something, but Rich held up his hand. “No. I don’t want to hear it!” He stared hard at Gabriel, warning him to keep quiet. “If you two hadn’t been so worried about who could yell the loudest to get their way, you would’ve noticed that you literally ran our girl out of the room!” He pointed down the hall then cut his eyes at Loki. “What the hell is wrong with you two? Regardless of how you look at it, you’re both older than any of us here, but you’re acting like a couple of children!” He took a step back and shook his head. “I can’t be around you right now, either.”

“Rich,” Loki began, but Rich just walked away and headed towards the back of the house.

* * *

“Dammit,” Gabriel said under his breath.

“Wow, you two have gone and done it, haven’t you?” Gabe said. He crossed his arms when Gabriel and Loki turned their heads and shot him scathing looks. "Please,” he scoffed. “I've had that look thrown my way many times fellas, and trust me, yours is nowhere near as scary as his.” He jerked his thumb at Richard, who was standing at his side and smirking.

“Alright,” the angel went on, rubbing his hands together. “Now that you’ve both been reamed like you deserved”—he ignored their glares—“we need to decide what to do and how to do it. Every second you two spend yelling at one another is another second Cas is in danger, that Rich and Kit are in danger, that untold numbers of people are in danger. I know that it sucks, I know that it's hella scary, but we don't have the time to piss and moan about it."

Gabriel crossed his arms and regarded Gabe. Despite the way he was feeling at the moment, he had to admit that he was rather impressed. He'd never seen this side of the angel before. All his time running around the other worlds with Richard must've toughened him up and changed him.

Richard cleared his throat. “No one is saying that either of you are wrong, but we don't have time to nitpick every little thing. We need to make a plan, but a plan that prepares for as many eventualities as possible."

Loki looked conflicted for a moment, but finally nodded. "Very well." He turned to Gabriel. "Angel?”

The archangel looked at everyone in the room, feeling apprehensive as he thought over their words. He caught Loki’s gaze, saw none of the anger from before, only the promise of trust and support in their decisions together.

He smiled and nodded at Gabe. "Alright. Let’s do that.” He walked towards the couch to pick up the discarded phone from the floor. “I'll text Sam."

* * *

Rich found Kit lying on the bed in the guest bedroom. He had gone to the master bedroom first, wiping his face free of the tears that had escaped his eyes from his anger and hurt over Gabriel and Loki’s behavior. He had expected to find her in the room, but when he discovered it empty, he sighed and walked across the hall to open the door and look sadly into what was now her old room.

He walked quietly over to where she was lying on the bed and sat down.

“Kitty?” he said, reaching over to touch her back which was facing him.

“Yes?” she said in a sad voice.

He laid down and spooned her. “Why are you in here, babe?” He wrapped his arm around her middle and pulled her against him. “You don’t have to stay in here anymore.”

“I can’t be in there until we all can be in there together,” she whispered. “It’s too big by myself.” Her voice shook as she spoke. “Too lonely by myself.”

Rich felt his heart twist. She was right; it would feel empty without their archangel and trickster in the bed with them. He kissed her skin where her neck met her shoulder before tucking his head next to hers.

“We’ll both stay in here while they’re gone if that’s what you want.”

She lay her arm over his. “I want them to stay here, to be like we were before we came back,” she said. He felt her shoulders start to shake as she began to cry.

He closed his eyes and held her tightly, his own eyes filling with tears.

She turned in his arms, embracing him just as tightly and kissing his lips, seeking comfort. "Don't leave me,” she said, pulling back and looking into his eyes. “Promise me, if...if..."

He put a hand against the back of her head, cradling it as he laid it against his chest.

"Never, baby girl. Never."

* * *

A half-hour later, Rich and Kit entered the kitchen and saw the other four gathered around the table. It appeared that they’d been waiting for them to come back.

Gabriel and Loki took one look at their lovers’ puffy red eyes and tear-streaked faces and were by their sides almost immediately, embracing them in a four-way hug.

“I’m so sorry, babies,” Gabriel whispered, kissing their faces and stroking their backs.

“Forgive us,” Loki said sincerely, looking into each of their eyes while running his fingers through their hair.

Rich and Kit could only nod and hold on to them. It was followed by more kisses and even more tears. They all knew that goodbyes were soon to happen, and they wanted to have this moment together last as long as possible.

Gabe and Richard were holding hands and gazing into each other’s eyes, the emotions expressed by the quad affecting them greatly. They knew what it was like, being afraid to be apart.

“We have to go,” Loki said. His eyes looked pained when Kit and Rich’s tears increased. “Sam is waiting on us.”

“Noooo,” Kit nearly wailed. She clung to him, like she’d be able to keep him here with her arms alone. “L-Loki…”

Gabriel wiped his hands over his face, then tugged Rich to him, who had been looking down forlornly. “Baby, we’ll be back, OK?” he said, running his thumb along his jaw.

Rich looked up into his face, the face he’d seen over four years ago that had started him on this path to be with these three amazing people he loved. “Don’t die,” he choked out, then fell against the archangel.

Gabriel brought his arm up, splaying a hand between Rich’s shoulder blades and cupping the back of his head with the other while holding him close. “I’ll come back to you, Rich. I’ll always come back to you.”

Loki gazed at them all, a deep emotion nearly bursting through him.

“Gabriel, Rich, Kit… I—”

Kit’s hand came up and covered his lips. He jerked in surprise and looked down at her, seeing her staring at him

She then leaned up and whispered in his ear. “Not now. Please. You’ll hurt us.” Pulling back, she touched his face and added, “I understand how it is now, you sweet man.”

He crushed her to him and kissed her, trying to pour his deep feelings for her through the action. By the way that she returned it, he was sure that she understood, and felt the same way.

Rich pulled back from Gabriel, who grasped the sides of his face and tenderly kissed him. “I love you, Richard Speight. Soon all four of us will be back here and driving each other insane.”

“That’s _Mister_ Speight to you, Archangel,” Rich whispered against his lips. “And we _do_ need to finish up that project in the tool shed.”

“Can we do another ‘project’ in the tool shed too?” Gabriel asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Rich laughed softly. “Only if you promise to clean all the sawdust up first.”

“It’s a date then.”

They turned to see Kit looking at them sadly. “We should be doing that all the time, not this,” she said, her eyes full of sadness.

Rich stepped back from Gabriel so the archangel could take her from Loki. “We will, sweetheart,” he crooned, kissing her face. “Every day.”

“Promise?” she asked as she returned his kisses. “All the time?”

“Every second,” he replied.

“Gabriel…” she said. Her lip started to tremble, and he cupped her face.

“Don’t cry, Kit-Kat. Smile for me.”

She tried to, but failed. He leaned down and nuzzled her nose, then covered her mouth with his and kissed her, dipping her just like he’d done in the other world’s Norway. That was _their_ kiss, and he’d always do that for her when he wanted to take her breath away.

Rich and Loki watched them for a moment, then Loki whirled Rich around to press him solidly against him. “I will return to you,” he told Rich. “You know I will.”

“I believe you, Loki,” Rich said, raising his arms to clasp his hands around the trickster’s neck. “Just…Just be careful, OK?”

“I promised you that I would before, didn’t I?” Loki reminded him. He pressed his forehead to his. “And I’ll promise you again if you want me to. I’ll do anything for you, Rich.”

Rich swallowed back tears. “Don’t get yourself killed,” he rasped.

“Is that all?” Loki said smugly. He kissed his human, with all his heart. Rich felt the tears fall again.

God, he was sick of crying.

* * *

Sooner than they all liked, Gabriel and Loki were standing on the back porch, Kit and Rich just inside the back door.

“We’ll call you as soon as we’re there,” Gabriel said, taking Loki’s hand.

"If anything happens..." Rich trailed off.

"Make sure to nap a lot just in case," Gabriel joked lamely, referring to contacting the humans in their dreams.

Kit bit her lip to keep it from trembling.

"Kitten, we'll come back," Loki said.

She looked down and nodded. "OK." Rich wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her close to him.

"We love you," Gabriel said.

They both looked up. "We love you too," Rich said. Kit was unable to speak, and averted her eyes, starting to feel guilty about being afraid to tell them out loud how she felt.

"See you soon," Gabriel said, and with a flutter of wings, they were gone.

Kit buried her head in Rich's chest. "Promise me they'll come back."

Rich turned her into him and tucked her head under his chin and wrapped his arms securely around her. “They won't fail us. They'd go to hell and back for us, Darlin'. And _only_ for us."

* * *

_**Austin** _

Gabriel and Loki appeared by the pool of Sam’s performer’s home, already having made themselves invisible. Sam was already there, waiting for them. Gabriel noticed that he looked tense and pensive.

He walked up to him and said softly, “Sam? What is it?”

Sam, even though he couldn’t see him, had been expecting to hear the archangel’s voice and wasn’t startled. He turned in his direction and shook his head. “Worried about Cas. What will I tell Jack and Claire if…” He shook his head once more.

“We’re gonna get him back, Sam,” Gabriel said, gripping his shoulder firmly. “No one messes with my family. _Our_ family,” he corrected himself.

Sam smiled softly. “Thanks, Gabriel.”

“We need to hurry,” Loki said from behind them.

“One sec,” Gabriel said. He ran about the Padalecki residence, swiftly warding the property and grounds.

“How are the others?” Sam asked as they waited.

“They’ve been better,” Loki said.

“I think we all have.”

* * *

_**Montana** _

Gabe and Richard had checked to make sure that all the doors and windows were secure after Gabriel and Loki had left. They then reiterated how they were not allowed to step a foot outside or look out the windows, not even to peep.

Kit went back to her old room, claiming that she felt exhausted while Rich started to stress clean. Gabe and Richard kept watch by the doors periodically, stopping to talk to each other and watch Rich scrub away at nonexistent dirt on every surface in the kitchen.

When he had put away all the dishes—including the ones Dean had apparently left when he, Sam, and Cas had taken off in a hurry—Rich decided that the kitchen was as clean as it could possibly get. He braced his arms against the sink and hung his head, taking a deep breath. He looked at the window, sighing at the blinds that were closed and blocking the view that he usually enjoyed.

Being shut-in was harder than he had thought it was going to be.

It made him think of Kit, and he decided to go check on how she was doing. He glanced at the clock on the stove, noting that it had been three hours since Gabriel and Loki had left.

He headed down the hallway, telling Gabe and Richard that he was going to go lie down with Kit for a while.

“We’ve got it covered. You guys just take it easy,” Gabe said. Richard nodded in agreement and smiled.

Rich smiled and continued on.

* * *

_**Austin** _

Gabriel, Loki, and Sam were at Jensen’s house, Gabriel posting wards about the actor’s home. It was taking a bit longer to put up the sigils because of the various Supernatural characters that Jared and Jensen had played in the past; they didn’t want undue attention drawn to their homes. Gabriel was trying to put them in discreet, out of the way places so that they weren’t easily seen.

Sam and Loki were outside talking when they heard a vehicle drive up. They turned around in surprise when they saw Jensen exit it, Dean scooting out quickly behind him before the door closed. Jensen entered the house and Dean walked up to stand next to Sam.

“What are you doing here?!” Sam asked.

“What are _you_ doing here?!”

“We were about to go retrieve you,” Loki said.

Dean swiveled his head when he heard Loki’s voice. “Shit, dude!” He then glared at his brother. “Could’ve told me that he was here, ya know!”

The sound of wings heralded Gabriel’s arrival. “All done! Wait, what the hell are you doing here?!”

“That’s what _I’m_ asking!”

“Just tell us!” Loki growled.

* * *

_**Montana** _

Rich and Kit were wrapped around one another, finding comfort in one another’s arms. Both were worried about Gabriel and Loki, but they were also worried about each other as well. Deep inside, they felt that they might be the only person that the other had left. They needed to be strong.

“We’re gonna be OK,” Kit said.

“Yes, we are,” Rich said, kissing the top of her head.

“And as long as we’re together, we won’t be alone.”

Rich touched her face. “Who are you trying to convince, Kit?”

She raised her face to look at him. “You,” she said honestly.

He looked touched. “Kit, I won’t leave you alone either, OK?”

“I know… Rich...” Against her will, her eyes started to tear up and she wiped at them furiously. “I’m so tired of crying,” she complained.

“Let me help you take them away?” Rich offered, though his eyes were just as wet.

Kit reached up and kissed the few tears that escaped down Rich’s cheeks. “As long as you let me help you too.”

Rich rolled her beneath him and captured her lips. They cherished one another’s mouths, roved their hands through the other’s hair. They slowly removed their clothes, only parting their lips when they had to pull their shirts over their heads.

Kit spread her legs and Rich slipped between them and slowly entered her. Kit gasped inside his mouth, then threw back her head as he started to slowly make love to her. They moved their hips against each other, giving each other all they had to try to take away the hurt they were feeling inside.

Rich moved his lips to her neck, keeping his eyes closed as he rolled his hips up and down between Kit’s thighs. “Kitty,” he sighed, feeling her velvet tightness caress his shaft. “Kitty…”

Kit moaned and crossed her ankles behind his back, pushing into his thrusts. “Rich… Oh…”

Their rhythm was lazy, languid. There was no rush. It was all focused on just being together and seeking comfort through what they were going through. Deep kisses were shared now and then, they stared into the other’s eyes, said their names.

Eventually, Kit’s breathing increased. Despite the leisurely pace that Rich had set, she was soon crashing over, calling out his name in ecstasy. Rich covered her mouth with his, drank in her moans. His own orgasm was upon him, and her clenching, spasming walls around his length had him burying himself to the hilt inside of her as he released.

They clung to each other, rocking through their pleasure, crying out the other’s name over and over. It was what they had needed, after all the stress of the day, being with one another.

Once they were lying sated and sweaty on the bed, blue eyes gazing into amber, Rich whispered, “I love you, Kitty.”

Her breath caught. Should she?

She ran one of her fingers gently through his beard.

“I-I love you too, Rich.”

* * *

_**Austin** _

Gabriel, Loki, Sam, and Dean all sat at the edge of the lake in the Ackles’ backyard. Dean had spent the last good hour and a half explaining what had transpired while he was with Jensen.

They had left for the concert, and everything seemed normal: Gotten in the vehicle, gassed up, hit the road. Halfway there, Jensen had gotten a call from one of Rob’s bandmates about how Rob had seemed a bit under the weather, but so far it looked like he would be OK to go—just wanted to let him know in case.

“Well,” Dean continued. “We get there. Place is crowded as hell. Didn’t know the guy’s band was so popular. We wait, Jensen gets a _great_ spot up front, which was pretty cool.” He ignored the frustrated look from Sam.

“Anyway, after a good bit, someone came out, escorted Jensen backstage. Told him that Rob couldn’t come out. He had tried, but just couldn’t do it. Jensen asked if there was anything he could do, but was told that Rob had adamantly refused to see anyone.

“So, we came back. Jensen tried to call Rob, but they all went to voicemail. He’s pretty worried.”

Loki frowned. “I don’t like this. It’s too suspicious, too coincidental.”

“I agree,” said Gabriel.

“What do you mean? Humans get sick all the time,” Dean said.

* * *

_**Montana** _

Rich scrolled through his messages on his cellphone while sipping a cup of coffee. He was waiting on Kit to get out of the shower. He’d taken one in the master, she in the other.

He looked up at a knock on the door. He shot a look at Gabe, who motioned for him to sequester himself in the hallway. Rich put his phone into his back pocket and slowly made his way there, looking back towards the bathroom door, keeping an eye on it for when Kit came out.

Richard flanked Gabe as the angel peeked through the window next to the door. His eyes widened and he cursed under his breath.

“What?” Richard whispered.

Rich heard the bathroom door open and he quickly turned his head. Kit exited the room, her face pale. He stepped towards her, his eyebrows creased in concern. He wanted to ask what was wrong, but now wasn’t the time.

“Shh, someone’s at the door,” he whispered instead.

Her eyes widened. “Who?”

“I don’t know.” He looked her over, noting that she was paler than he thought. “Are you all right?”

“I…” She swallowed. “Rich,” she whispered. “Were we really gone for an entire month and a half in the other world?”

He looked at her strangely, but before he could answer he heard Gabe shout, “GET BACK!”

* * *

_**Austin** _

“What do we do, then?” Dean asked.

“We need to call home!” Gabriel said.

“Don’t tell me we fell for another distraction AGAIN?!”

* * *

_**Montana** _

Rich cautiously opened his eyes, moaning as he looked down into Kit’s face. She was looking up at him from the floor, her eyes wide with fright.

“Are you all right?” they both said at the same time.

Rich touched her face, not liking the small cuts that nicked her cheek and chin. “One sec, OK?” He was lying on top of her, having thrown himself over her when the front door was blasted inwards. He rolled off of her to his side, taking in the damage.

The kitchen and living room were covered in splintered wood. Shattered glass from the windows blanketed the furniture, and the kitchen island had toppled over sideways.

But what mainly captured his attention were the two people standing in the middle of the wreckage.

“Cas? R-Robbie?”

“Stay in the hallway, Rich,” Gabe’s voice called. Rich assumed he was in the living room. “Keep away from them.”

Cas and Rob turned towards Rich. “Just come with us and your friends won’t get hurt,” Cas said, motioning to his companion.

Rich looked at the other man strangely. “Robbie?”

“Stop!” Richard appeared in front of the hallway, spreading his arms to the newcomers.

The other man sneered. “Well, hello there Richard. Very long time no see.” He crossed his arms. “Glad to see that you’re not hiding anymore.”

Richard sucked in a breath sharply. “Rob? Rob _Bennett?_ ”

"Glad you remembered. You remember your other _friends'_ names too?"

“Where have you been?” Richard’s voice cracked a little. “I’ve been worried abou—GACCH!”

Richard wrapped his hands around his throat as Rob’s eyes began to pulse a sickly green.

“Richard!” Gabe made to move towards them, but Cas glared at him and barred his path.

"I don't want to hear a damn word from you, you coward,” Rob growled at Richard, ignoring Gabe. “You left us on our own, didn't even bother to try to find us. You were too busy getting liquored up and fucked by that angel over there to care." He curled his lips in disgust as he gestured in Gabe’s direction. "If it weren't for our Arbiter we'd've been struggling from world to world and suffering forever."

“G-Gabe,” Richard gasped out, fingers grabbing at invisible bonds on his throat.

“LET HIM GO!” Gabe roared, throwing out his grace at Rob. He staggered back when Rob casually lifted his hand and deflected it back towards him. Cas unsheathed his blade and raised it, his deep blue eyes swirling with grace that contained the same strange energy that filled Rob’s own eyes.

Rich and Kit had slowly gotten to their feet. “Wh-What are we going to do?” Kit said into Rich’s ear.

“Bathroom,” Rich answered. He heard his cell phone start to ring, and he winced.

Cas jerked his head and saw them. He then flicked his fingers in their direction and threw the two humans against the wall.

“Let us go, Cas!” Rich cried, straining his head to try to look at Kit.

Cas only smirked and turned to Gabe. “Do you think you can take me, _angel?_ ”

Gabe narrowed his eyes. “I’m still technically an archangel, _seraph._ ”

“A copy of one,” Cas said, twirling his blade.

Gabe’s eyes flared with grace, and he and Cas rushed each other, screaming in fury.

There was a brilliant burst of verdant light, and when it faded, it was deathly quiet.

Rich opened his eyes and looked directly at Kit. He was relieved to see that she was conscious, and he whispered her name so she would look at him.

“Rich?”

“I’m here,” he said, then turned his head when she looked beyond him in fear.

Cas had his fingers digging deeply into the scar on Gabe’s chest, intertwining their graces. The angel was literally hanging off of the seraph’s hands, helpless as his scar absorbed Odium from within Cas.

Richard had fainted, though he was breathing shallowly. Rob was watching Cas’ actions eagerly, but when he noticed Rich and Kit observing them, he threw Richard aside violently.

"Trash," he spat out as he walked towards the humans.

"Where's Robbie?" Rich demanded.

Rob chuckled, then blinked his eyes, the eerie glow disappearing and returning to their original blue hue. “Wh-What?” he said. He sounded like Robbie—Rich’s Robbie. He looked around in confusion, then settled his eyes on Rich. "Wh-Where? What am I doing?" His eyes widened in absolute terror. “RICH! OH MY GOD! THERE’S SOMEONE WHO LOOKS LIKE ME, BUT IT’S NOT ME, BUT IT’S ME! THEY’RE—” His voice choked off and he froze, then his face turned into a sick, twisted sneer. "He's right here; why?"

Rich stared in horror. Robbie was actually there in front of him, yet Rob Bennett was there, too. It was like Kit: a character was inside a human, via the corrupted Ether.

He felt his heart almost stop as it all clicked into place. It meant Qiang Yuan was also killed when Cormac threw the _shui gui_ into the Odium! Bile rose to the back of his throat, and he fought not to vomit. Gabriel and the others said it had been a torturous end…

He looked over at Cas. Did that also mean that Misha had been taken over by Cas too?

It was too much. "Why are you doing this?! Robbie _created_ you!” He struggled furiously against the invisible bonds holding him to the wall. “ _We_ created you!" He looked down at Richard’s prone form lying crumpled on the ground near the kitchen table, wondering if he was even OK. “He's your best friend..."

"All that means little when you're betrayed. When you're stranded on your own. When you can't get back home. We didn't know what we had done to get kicked out, but we were told the truth."

Kit raised her head and glared daggers at Rob. "Oh yeah? Who told you that? Cormac?" she said angrily. “And you just believed him?"

“He showed us."

“Yeah, by literally filling you with lies."

Cas flung Gabe over his shoulder and marched up to them. “We don't have time for this." He held up his hand and tapped each of their foreheads in succession, sending them both into unconsciousness.

The sound of Rich’s cell phone ringing filled the hallway, and Rob deftly plucked it from Rich’s pants. He denied the call, then sent a text back. He then looked at Cas, who took it and fried the device before dropping it unceremoniously to the floor.

“Let’s go, shall we?”

* * *

_**Austin** _

┃Sorry, your little boy toy is currently taking a nap and on his way to learn about his new job. Toodles.

Gabriel read the message, then crushed the phone in his hand, jerking his head up. "We need to get back,” he said, looking at Loki. "NOW."

"We'll stay here. GO!" Sam said.

Gabriel grabbed Loki’s hand and they disappeared.

* * *

_**Montana** _

The house was in shambles. It looked like it had been razed by a fire and the front door was blown completely off the hinges.

Loki wasted no time in racing towards the back of house, pausing abruptly once he got to the hallway. He saw the indentation of where two bodies had been pushed into the drywall.

“Gabriel,” he said slowly, gesturing to the wall.

"What the fuck happened?" Gabriel whispered. He turned to Loki and grabbed his arms, his voice rising in panic. “What the fuck happened, Loki?!”

Loki, fighting to remain calm to keep Gabriel from falling completely apart, raised his hands and settled his palms around his angel’s face. “Gabriel, breathe. We need to—”

They both turned their heads sharply as a low moan came from behind the kitchen table. They crept towards it, then rushed over when they discovered Richard lying curled up on his side in pain.

Gabriel knelt by him, placing his palm gently on his side. “Hold on, Richard,” he said in a tense voice. His hand lit up as grace was sent out into the human’s body, and Loki was relieved when the severe contusions around his neck faded. He could only imagine the other injuries that the archangel had just healed.

"Richard! What happened?! Where is everyone?!" Gabriel inquired frantically as he helped the human sit up.

Richard looked around the room in mild panic. "Rob... It was Rob... Cas..."

"Cas? Rob?” Gabriel said, his voice rising in panic once more. He placed his hands on Richard’s shoulders, looking into the human’s pale face. “Which Rob, Richard?"

"M-My Rob...from my world..." He gripped Gabriel’s arms until his knuckles turned white. "They're corrupted." He took a gasping breath as he looked around again. "WHERE'S GABE?!"

"We'll find him," Loki said, seething inwardly. “We'll find them all.” He helped Richard and Gabriel to their feet. "Come with us."

"He was fighting Cas... There was that Ether that my Guardian spoke of..." Richard stared at the state of the house. "Holy shit..."

"Hang on, Richard," Gabriel said, more calmly than he looked. He and Loki both put an arm around the human, then took off in a flurry of wings.


	10. Back Against The Wall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings: A good bit of violence in this chapter. Also some blood here and there.

_**Austin** _

After returning to Texas, Gabriel transported everyone to an empty building in the city. They milled around in one of the upper-story rooms, trying to process what had happened in Montana.

Gabriel sat on an old crate, his head in his hands, eyes closed. He’d been in this position almost from the moment they’d arrived. He had barely been able to get them all safely there, and was now focusing on locating their missing loved ones.

Loki was pacing back and forth, having worn a path in the thick layer of gray dust that covered the floor of the room. His face was blank, but his eyes went from pure sorrow to pure rage then back again.

Richard was sitting against the wall, looking straight in front of him. He had nearly had a panic attack when he’d arrived at Jensen’s house, begging for someone to rescue Gabe. Sam had talked him through it, and was keeping near him in case he needed his help again.

Dean was glaring out a nearby broken window. He was furious at their being duped again.

“So what now?” he said, not able to stand the tension and silence anymore. He turned his head to look at them all. “What are we going to do?”

Gabriel opened his eyes and shook his head. “I-I don’t know.” He lowered his hands and looked at them helplessly. “They were supposed to be safe... So stupid...stupid..."

The archangel’s words seemed to jerk Richard from out of his stupor, startling Sam. “Why are we just sitting around doing nothing?" he demanded, glaring.

“Richard,” Sam said, touching his arm.

Richard shrugged him off irritably. “I want to know why!"

"I know that you're hurting, we all are..."

Richard barked out a hollow laugh. "You have _no idea_ what I'm going through..."

“I do, Richard,” Gabriel said softly, raising his head and moving his body around on the crate to face him. His face was drawn and his eyes were bloodshot. “I know exactly what you’re going through.”

“Then why—”

Gabriel clenched his jaw as his eyes flared with grace, the remaining glass in the windows of the room turning into dust and spraying everywhere. The other occupants of the room cried out in alarm, throwing up their arms to protect their heads and faces. “I'm trying _so hard_ to get the strength to focus my mind on finding where they are.” He squeezed his eyes shut and curled his hands into fists on top of his thighs. “But I can’t,” he said, voice shaking as he shook his head, hands flying to cover his face as he sobbed. "I CAN'T!"

“GABRIEL!" Loki cried out as he ran and knelt in front of him "Come on, Angel, you need to control yourself!"

“I keep trying to find them, Loki,” Gabriel said, reaching out and grabbing Loki’s suit jacket lapels. “I keep trying to find them dreaming, but I get nothing but darkness!”

Richard looked sick. “Can you contact Gabe? Cas?”

Gabriel shook his head, nearly overwhelmed. “I don’t know how to…”

Dean pressed his lips together and shared a look with Loki. Everyone was falling apart, and fast. His feet crunched on particles of glass as he stepped forward. “Gabriel, can you find their grace? Can your grace sense theirs?”

“I…” Gabriel grew quiet, looked up at Loki, then down again. “I don’t think it works like that here, Dean.”

“But you can hear prayers,” Sam said. “And you can use your grace in other ways. Why not that way?”

Gabriel shook his head. “No, it won’t work. It’s use—”

“Dammit, Gabriel try!” Dean shouted. His gaze grew hard as Gabriel whipped his head in his direction, eyes wide in astonishment. “You’re the only one who can do this! We don’t have time for you to sit there feeling sorry for yourself!” He looked away, blinking his eyes rapidly. “You’re not the only one who’s blaming themselves, ya know,” he added quietly.

“But I can’t do it alone.” Gabriel’s voice wavered and he took a deep, watery breath. A warm, gentle hand touched his face and he turned his head to meet Loki’s caring eyes.

“You’re never alone, Gabriel,” his lover said. “I’ll help you.”

"Loki, I don't know if I can..."

"We need you to try, Angel." Loki’s eyes filled with pain as he rubbed his thumb along Gabriel’s tear-stained cheek. "Please, Gabriel. Rich and Kit, Cas, Gabe… They need us to try."

Gabriel hesitated, then looked about the room until his eyes settled on Richard. “Please Gabriel,” Richard said, his eyes full of wary hopefulness. “I’m _begging_ you.”

“Come on, man,” Dean said, and Gabriel’s eyes darted in his direction. “Cas is there too, remember?”

Choking back a sob, Gabriel nodded. "OK... I-I will." He raised a hand and waited until Loki grasped it with one of his own. They next closed their eyes, Loki entwining his pagan magic with Gabriel’s grace to support him. Then together, they sought out the ones they had all lost.

Their combined powers allowed their consciousnesses to flow about the globe, seeking the familiar presence of the seraph and angel. It traveled across the land, rushed through the rivers, oceans, and trees, and flew freely through the air. It wound north to south, east to west, continent to continent.

They halted when a sliver of grace, tainted with the ghastly dullness of the corrupted Ether, caught their attention. They immediately zeroed in on it, traveling to a deep cavern in Northwestern Mexico. They drew back just before entering it, not wanting to possibly alert anyone inside of their actions.

They then swiftly drew back, pulling their awarenesses back to the abandoned building in Austin. When they had successfully returned, they both opened their eyes, falling heavily against each other, breathing hard.

“Cave,” Gabriel gasped into Loki’s shoulder. “Mexico…”

“Where in Mexico?” Sam asked, standing up.

Loki wrapped his arms about Gabriel. “Chihuahua.” He wasn’t as exhausted as Gabriel, the archangel having done most of the work. “He needs to rest,” he said.

Dean walked forward. “Chihuahua? Like the dog?” Sam glared at him and Dean huffed. “What? I’m just asking!” When his brother just rolled his eyes, he turned to Loki. "Anyway, Gabriel’s been needing to rest for a good while. You can tell us more while he recharges."

* * *

_**Cave of the Crystals - Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico** _

Kit moaned at how uncomfortable she felt. It was almost unbearably warm. Why couldn’t she move? She opened her eyes and blinked several times, an eerie ghostly light flooding the area around her. Where was she?

She seemed to be inside some kind of huge limestone cavity, and the floor was covered with crystals, most of which were huge. They were white, and looked, to her, like they were covered in chalk. A strip of ground was void of the crystals, forming a path that led straight to where she was suspended in mid-air.

She tried to move again, but her limbs were being held down by something she couldn’t see. It reminded her of what happened before when she first met Cormac, which then reminded her of what had happened in Montana.

Her eyes darted about, looking for Rich, for Gabe. She craned her head as much as she could to see over the largest of the crystals. Where were they? Was she alone?

“Well, about time you woke up, my lovely Catherine."

Her blood ran cold at the sound of Cormac’s voice, and she turned her head slowly as he stepped from behind the crystals at the end of the path before her. He held her gaze as he walked towards her, and Kit felt her heart beat faster with every step he took.

Once he was before her, she breathed through her mouth to stop his vile stench from overwhelming her. “Where’s Rich?” she demanded, barely keeping her voice steady.

“Oh, he’s still taking a nap, I’m afraid,” Cormac said in a bored voice. “You humans always tire so easily.” He waved his hand and the wall of crystals parted, revealing Rich on his knees, his hands bound with an unseen force behind his back.

“Let him go,” she said, staring straight into Cormac’s repugnant face. “You have me back, right? Please, take me, you don’t need him—AH!”

Cormac smacked her hard across the face, his features livid. “Oh, I’ve _plenty_ use for him, and don’t you DARE try to bargain with me, you traitorous little slut!"

Kit’s head had been thrown to the side, and she tasted blood in her mouth. She moved it slowly back to face him and gave him a murderous look. “I'm neither of those things, you monster.”

Cormac huffed a laugh. "Oh ho, but you know you are. Look at you, defiling the body of my daughter. Bringing it before me”—he ran his eyes up and down her body—“ _used._ "

“ _What?!_ ” Kit shouted. “My body is no one’s but my own, you sick fuck!”

The former Guardian merely smiled. “We’ll see about that.”

* * *

Just a short distance away, Rob walked up to Gabe, who was strapped against the cave wall. The angel’s head was bowed, his eyes closed. The shirt he had been wearing was ripped to shreds and his Hate scar had spread to cover most of his chest and abdomen.

“Wake up!” Rob said, slapping his face.

Gabe raised his head and bore his eyes into the human’s face. “What do you want, Rob?”

Cas appeared from their left and asked in a calm, deep voice, “Whom do you serve?”

Gabe’s eyes began to glow with the power of the corrupted Ether that had been forced inside him, but he clenched his teeth, fighting against it. “N-No,” he said, and his eyes turned back to their normal amber hue.

Rob frowned, then cocked his head at Cas, who walked forward and pressed his hand firmly on Gabe’s sternum. “WHOM DO YOU SERVE?” he said powerfully.

Dark, ugly tendrils from the scar shot up Gabe’s neck, stopping at just under his jawline. The angel screamed in pain, begging Cas to stop.

But Cas only dug his fingers in as his eyes bloomed with verdant energy. “SAY IT.”

Gabe’s body convulsed, his eyes rolling back into his head, screaming once more. His head then dropped, and he hung as if lifeless. Rob and Cas watched him for a moment, and Cas retracted his fingers and took a step back.

“Wait,” Rob said, crossing his arms.

A small chuckle was heard from Gabe shortly after, and a morbid grin appeared on the angel’s lips. “Thank you, Cas,” he said, raising his head. The honey-gold eyes had turned pale sea-green.

He swept his gaze between the two beings in front of him and smirked.

“That’s _so_ much better.”

* * *

Nearby, Rich had awoken in shock at Gabe’s agonizing shrieks of pain. He ran his eyes desperately over the cave walls and crystals, trying to understand where he was. He was about to cry out for help before Cormac entered his field of vision and smirked at him.

It all came rushing back, followed by a huge wave of overwhelming fatigue. His eyes closed, but he was able to send out one thought to his archangel just before he lost consciousness:

_Gabriel…_

* * *

_**Austin** _

_...Gabriel_

Gabriel jerked awake, sitting up and shouting, “RICH!” He stared at the walls of the room he and Loki had gone to on the lower floor of the abandoned building. Loki had conjured a pallet for him to rest upon.

Loki, lying by his side, quickly sat up at Gabriel’s abrupt awakening and said, “Gabriel! What is it?”

“He prayed to me!”

Loki’s eyes widened. “He did?” Loki turned Gabriel towards him and cradled his face in his hands. “You heard him? What did he say?” he asked.

“My name. He said my name. Oh, Loki, this is such a good sign,” Gabriel sobbed out, throwing his arms around his lover. They held each other, so thankful for this piece of positive news.

“Kit knows to pray too, right?” Loki asked softly.

Gabriel nodded into Loki’s neck. “I wish I had also gotten something from her. I wish Rich would’ve said more.”

“Maybe the being in her mind is blocking her from praying,” Loki said grimly.

“Dammit,” Gabriel choked out. “Wh-What could they be doing to them, Loki?” He raised his head and looked into Loki’s face. “What if they’re hurt?”

“We’d know, Gabriel.”

“How?”

Loki placed a hand upon Gabriel’s chest in silent answer.

“Loki…” Gabriel said. He pulled his trickster’s face closer and started to kiss him softly, then grabbed him and crushed their mouths together urgently.

Loki stilled and gently parted their lips from one another. “Gabriel?”

“I need… I need to feel you with me, Loki,” Gabriel said, a tear escaping from the corner of one of his eyes. “It’s been too much.”

“I understand, Angel,” Loki said, brushing the wetness from Gabriel’s face. “But we can’t right now. We need to go back upstairs.”

“Doesn’t matter how long it is, I just… I just…” Gabriel held tight against him. “ _Please_ Loki, I have to know that I’m actually here...”

“Gabriel…”

“ _Please…_ ”

Unable to stand seeing his angel being in pain, Loki pressed him down to the pallet and quickly removed their clothes with a snap of his fingers. He devoured his mouth, swallowing his moans, feeling Gabriel tangle his fingers in his hair. It was desperate, needy, yet at the same time, comforting.

Gabriel spread his legs and wrapped them around Loki’s hips, pushing himself up against his lover’s groin. Loki turned his head and groaned, moving a hand down to touch the archangel’s entrance, finding it already slick. He thrust in three fingers, making Gabriel toss his head back and moan.

“L-Loki…please…hurry…” Gabriel gasped, wrapping his arms around Loki’s neck. He moved his hips as Loki worked his fingers, making sure that he was ready for his cock.

Loki then slipped his fingers out and coated his shaft, whispered Gabriel’s name so the archangel would look into his eyes, then pushed into him hard. Gabriel shouted, tightening his limbs around him, and held on as Loki drove into him with fast, precise strokes.

“I love you, Loki, I love you!” Gabriel cried, pushing into Loki’s thrusts.

Once more, the phrase wanted to fall from Loki’s lips, but Kit’s words from earlier…they haunted him. But should he?

He might not get the chance to…

Gabriel’s wail interrupted his train of thought. “Hold me close, Loki! Please!”

Loki pressed their undulating bodies together, felt their hearts beating frantically against each other. He put his head beside Gabriel’s, and they each heard their panting breaths in the other’s ear.

“Love you, Loki, love you…” Gabriel chanted.

Loki closed his eyes, raised his head until his lips were inches from his angel’s. He opened his eyes and, pumping his hips harder than before, whispered, “I…”

Gabriel’s eyes widened, and he arched his back as his sweet spot was nailed by Loki’s cock.

Loki kissed up and down Gabriel’s neck. “I…”

“Loki... “

They moved faster against the other, then Gabriel caught Loki’s lips. “Say it, Loki…”

“I…”

Amber locked with amber, and a rush of pure emotion burst within Loki.

“Fuck, Angel, I love you.”

Even though they had always known without words what the other felt, hearing it made it seem more real, and their current situation made it especially so. Therefore Loki’s declaration sent Gabriel crashing over the edge, and it pulled Loki with him. They cried blissfully throughout it, holding tightly to one another.

It was powerful, and it felt like a dream after they spiraled down. They kissed the tears from one another’s faces, smiling through it all.

“Decided to start with me, huh?” Gabriel asked as he played with Loki’s hair. He was still afraid, but he didn’t feel as hopeless as he had before, now that he knew Rich and Kit were still alive because of Rich’s prayer and their connection.

“I loved you first, Angel,” Loki replied to him, kissing him softly. He felt lighter, and didn’t regret saying the words to Gabriel. He now realized that he wished he’d said them so much sooner.

“Me too, Sugar,” Gabriel said, kissing him back.

“We need to head back,” Loki said, reluctantly breaking their spell. He didn’t like the look that passed through Gabriel’s eyes. He made a vow then and there that they’d have their humans with them the next time they made love.

Gabriel took a deep breath and nodded. “Thank you, Loki. I”—he shook his head—“ _We_ needed this.”

Loki helped him to his feet. “We did,” he agreed. He gently kissed him. “We’ll all be together soon, Angel.”

“We have to be,” Gabriel said as he graced himself and Loki clean and back into their clothes. “I love you,” he said, looking at him and smiling tenderly.

“I know.”

Gabriel gave him an odd look.

“I know,” Loki said again, then embraced him. “I love you, too.”

* * *

_**Cave of the Crystals** _

“I said, ‘NO.’” Rich’s eyes blazed with anger as he looked up at Cormac from his position on the ground. “I won’t change my answer.”

Cormac smiled, black liquid dripping from the edges of his mouth. “Oh, but you will. You know why?” He whipped his finger in Cas’ direction, and the blue-eyed seraph brought his angel blade to his own neck. “I’ll have him slit his performer’s throat if you don’t. He wouldn’t really care, I assure you.”

So Cas really _was_ inside Misha! Rich nearly wrenched an arm out of its socket when he tried to jerk his hands apart in an attempt to stand, falling heavily onto his side when the action failed. “STOP! DON’T!” he shouted. “WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!”

"I need more power. I need to bring my world back!” Cormac snarled. He kept his hand pointed in Cas’ direction as he spoke to Rich. “But I don't have the ability to control the Ether like creators do. So”—he gestured to Rich with his free hand—"just do what I ask. Let him access that part of you. Tell me, then I'll let you all go."

"Don't believe him, Rich!" Kit cried from where she had been secured against an enormous crystal with some unseen force. "He'll never let you go!"

Cormac’s pupilless eyes narrowed to near slits as he bared his teeth. "Quiet you whore!" He curled his hand into a fist in her direction, and Kit bit back a cry as her hands and feet were pressed painfully into the crystal she was bound upon.

“Leave her alone!” Rich cried, struggling back to his knees. “Stop hurting her!”

“Then do as I say!” Cormac said, keeping his eyes on Kit, grinning gleefully as she whimpered.

Rich looked between them, then over at Rob and Gabe, who were both observing what was going on impassively. “Why me? Why Robbie?”

“Simple: you both created that world, so you both will give me the ability to control it.”

“You mean take it.”

“I do what I must.”

“And then you’ll kill us after! What gives you the right?!” Rich shouted.

Cormac turned his head back to him and Rich felt his blood run cold at the calm expression on the being’s face. “I never told you that I would kill you.”

Rich swallowed. “But you said back in China—”

"Fine!” Cormac said, rolling his eyes. “I'd let you live _within_ another character!"

Rob, Gabe, and Cas chuckled at Rich’s horrified reaction. “They’re not in any pain, Rich,” Rob said. “Your old pal Bob-o is completely unaware that his body is my slave.”

“You’re all deranged. Y-You’re sick…” Rich said.

“You won’t be thinking that at all when you're within your strongest character!” Cormac said. “After the world you brought into being is under my control, we will retrieve your friend’s strongest character and take over that world.”

“That’s not living!” Rich shook his head. “And Gabriel and Chuck would never—”

"They'd fall under the Odium just as easily as any other character," Cormac said, waving his hand flippantly. "Gabriel almost did once already."

Rich nearly got sick. Gabriel _had_ almost succumbed to the Odium before. It was too powerful.

He glanced over at Kit, seeing that she’d fainted. He almost felt envious of her.

He then turned back to his captors, the hazy, stomach-turning glow of the infected Ether swirling about their eyes.

_GABRIEL!_ he prayed loudly as he closed his eyes tightly. _STAY AWAY! STAY AWAY!!_

* * *

_**Austin** _

Dean looked up from where he was sitting next to his brother and Richard, and smirked at the sound of angel wings. He studied Gabriel and Loki’s faces, noting their relaxed and content expressions.

“You guys do realize that sound carries, right?” he said, then grabbed his arm when Sam punched him. “Ow!”

“Dean…” Sam hissed under his breath. “Shut up.”

“No one made you listen,” Gabriel said, as he and Loki walked over and sat on crates next to the trio. “And it’s not our fault that we know how to have a good time.”

“I should say so,” Dean grinned. “It’s a good thing people walking by aren’t aware of us. They would’ve called the cops if they’d heard you two.”

“Leave them alone, Dean,” Richard said in a sullen voice. Everyone turned to the man sitting on the floor who had his knees drawn up to his chest and arms wrapped around his legs. “I’m happy that they were able to find even a small moment of happiness in this hellhole of a situation.”

“Richard,” Gabriel said. “We’re going to save them. We’re going to save Gabe,” he said reassuringly.

“You don’t know that,” Richard said, shaking his head. He leaned his head onto his knees. “You didn’t see…” He clenched his teeth and drew a ragged breath. “They’re so strong! He might not even be himself anymore…”

They all knew this was more than likely, but hadn’t wanted to voice it. And with Gabe in his grasp, Cormac would have a good idea of what they were all capable of. They’d need to plan this carefully.

“I heard from Rich,” Gabriel said as a way to start off the conversation.

“Really?” Sam asked when everyone’s attention turned to the archangel. “What did he say?”

Gabriel shook his head. “Just my name. Nothing else.”

Richard raised his head. “That’s good though, right?” His eyes and voice held a bit of hope. “Right, Gabriel?”

“I’m taking it that way, and you should too, Richard,” Gabriel replied. He looked around at each person assembled. “All of you.”

Loki took his hand. “We have to,” he reaffirmed.

Dean nodded in agreement. “He’s alive. That’s definitely good.” When Gabriel nodded, Dean clapped his hands. “Well, let’s get—”

“AH!” Gabriel grabbed the sides of his head and nearly fell backwards off his seat. Loki quickly wrapped his arms around him and stopped him from falling.

“Gabriel!” he shouted, hauling him against him. “Gabriel!” he said once more when Gabriel clenched his teeth.

But Gabriel didn’t hear him. Rich was _screaming_ in his head, begging him not to come rescue him and Kit. Why?! Why would he say that?!

“Gabriel!”

He jerked in Loki’s hold, the trickster’s voice pulling him back to awareness. He lowered his hands, taking in steadying lungfuls of air. “Rich…” he gasped.

“He prayed to you again?” Sam asked, voice full of worry.

Gabriel shook his head, then nodded. “I-I don’t know… It was… He was scared…”

Richard watched with fearful eyes. “Gabriel… Wh-What did he say?”

“He told me to stay away.” He looked at Loki. “Why would he tell me that?”

“We can only assume Cormac is doing something to him to make him say that,” Dean growled.

“Or Rich really _is_ afraid for Gabriel!” Sam said.

“This guy has played us more than once already, Sam! He’s trying to pick us apart where it hurts!”

“We have to look at it from all angles, Dean!”

“I know that!”

“STOP IT!” Loki bellowed.

Sam and Dean snapped their heads towards Loki, who glared at them dangerously. “This is _exactly_ what Cormac wants: all of us at each other’s throats so that he can continue with whatever he’s doing! This bickering ends NOW. Do you understand?”

Sam looked away and nodded, and Dean stubbornly held Loki’s gaze before lowering his eyes and nodding as well. “Sure. Whatever.”

“Good,” Loki growled. He cut his eyes at Sam. “Tell us what you found about those caves.”

Sam cleared his throat, then took out his phone. He tapped at the screen and said, “From what you said about the location, it looks like it's the Cave of Crystals. It’s a horseshoe-shaped cavity underneath a mine, and the floor is covered with giant selenite crystals. Those caverns were supposed to have been flooded three years ago, and no one can survive the temperatures inside without a special suit because it's so hot from being over an underground magma chamber."

“Perfect hiding place,” Dean said grimly. “Bastard must be keeping it nice and cozy so that Rich and Kit can stay alive down there.”

“Not to mention Cas’ and Rob’s performers,” Richard added.

Gabriel’s confidence had returned to him at the new information. He was more determined than ever to rescue his human lovers from Cormac. “It’s under a mine, which Loki and I knew more or less. I can’t just fly all of us there at once, though; Cas and Gabe would sense us right before we appeared.”

“There are two mineshafts that lead to the chamber,” Sam said, turning his phone sideways to show a rough schematic of the area. “A group of us can go one way, another this way,” he said, indicating the two shafts. “It might be a long shot, but maybe you know of some wards that would block them, since you’re an archangel?”

Gabriel smiled. “This is a situation where I’m quite happy that the writers never really said much about our time in heaven. Hide and seek was one of my favorite games.”

Dean’s eyes lit up. “Oh _please_ tell me that you played that with Cas.”

“Cas never liked games,” Gabriel said as he frowned. “He liked puzzles.”

Sam and Dean shared a look. “That definitely sounds like Cas,” Sam said.

“Memory lane is always nice,” Richard said, breaking them from their tangent. “But we are on a time crunch, guys.”

Loki folded his arms. “So, how are we going to do this?”

“Are the five of us enough?” Sam asked.

“You know with Cas and Gabe there he’s gonna know all our weak and strong points,” Dean said. “That Cormac bastard is notorious for setting up traps. You KNOW he has guys all ready to attack anyone who finds him."

"Alright then," Gabriel said. They all watched him as he stood and brought forth his wings, flaring them across both sides of the room. "Let’s go see if we can find someone else to help back us up."

* * *

_**Cave of the Crystals** _

“-it! Kit! Wake up!”

Kit wished Rich would be quiet. She felt sick and her head hurt and she just wanted to sleep it off. She tried to roll over, then opened her eyes when pain shot through both her arms and legs. She blinked blearily for a moment, but when her gaze settled on Rich sitting on the ground before her, she was instantly awake.

“Rich!” she cried, then winced as the pounding in her head intensified slightly.

“Shh, Darlin’,” Rich said. “You’re hurt. No sudden movements, OK?” He looked at her wrists and ankles, swollen purple and green, and worry colored his voice as he asked, “Can you feel your hands and feet, Kit?”

She attempted to move them and wiggled her toes and fingers. It hurt like a bitch. “Y-Yeah,” she grit out, her voice strained, eyes stinging with unshed tears. “A-Are you OK?”

“Oh, doing fine and dandy,” he said, then smiled weakly at her unamused look. “I’m glad you’re awake.”

KIt knew he was lying. The lines around Rich’s eyes were tense and his voice pitched upwards every handful of syllables. But if he didn’t want to talk about it, she wouldn’t. “What happened? Where are they?” Kit asked, moving her eyes around the crystal-filled room. The light was pale, and shadows were everywhere.

He looked away for a moment. “There’s an exit at each end of this place,” he said, avoiding the first part of her question. “They disappeared a short while ago. Neither of us can move, so I guess this is also our prison.”

“Rich, what happened?” Kit said. She looked more closely at him, or tried to at least. “Where are your—” She now saw the deep cuts across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. “What did they do to you?!”

“Roughed me up a little is all,” he said, then winced when he tried to smile. “My glasses were the only casualty.”

“I’m sorry,” she said meaningfully. She licked her swollen lip and creased her eyebrows together. “Rich?”

“Yes, Darlin’?” he said, looking into her face.

“I can’t pray.”

He gave her a confused look. “What? Of course you can. It’s easy.”

She shook her head. “No, I mean… I tried earlier, when you were still knocked out. It… She… Whatever it is inside me… I think it’s somehow blocking me.”

* * *

Rich sucked in a sharp breath. Of course. She had a piece of that damaged character inside of her. “Is she talking to you again?”

“No, it’s like… I try to, but it’s all muffled. I can’t focus.”

He wanted to curse and scream, but Kit was already on edge; he couldn’t upset her any more than she already was. “It’s OK, Kitty. I’m sure that they know we’re here.” He gave her a significant look, hoping that she understood what he was implying: _I prayed to them, but don’t say anything just in case._

She just gave a quick nod, and he sighed as she relaxed. He didn’t tell her about his warning to Gabriel, still not wanting to alarm her. He knew he had promised not to keep anything from her, but what else could he do? They weren’t exactly in the best of situations.

The sound of footsteps from one of the entrances to the cavern caught their attention and they made themselves go completely still. They waited, tense and afraid of what would happen to them next.

Gabe and Cas appeared from around the bend of crystals near them. _Cormac must be at the other end of the curved cave,_ he thought. The angels stared with blank, dull eyes as they approached, and Kit started to shake. Rich wished he could find a way to get her out of there, but he was just as helpless as she was.

“Get up,” Gabe barked at him. He wrapped a hand under Rich’s armpit and hauled him roughly to his feet. Rich’s muscles protested painfully to the movement, and he cried out in pain.

“Get over it,” Gabe snapped, tugging him harshly alongside him as they walked away in the opposite direction that he and Cas had arrived, towards where Rich suspected Cormac to be.

“No, wait! Kit!” Rich shouted, trying to turn back to her.

Kit was sagging against Cas’ side. The seraph was holding her upright with an arm around her waist while draping one of her arms around his neck. He frowned at her, seeming to be disgusted at having to touch her.

“Kit!” Rich shouted again. He felt his ears ring when Gabe smacked the back of his head.

“Shut up and walk!” the angel commanded him. “She’s none of your concern anymore.”

Rich could’ve choked the life out of him, even though it would’ve been futile. “Where are we going?” he said instead, slowly following him. He heard Cas and Kit walking slowly behind them.

“My new boss wants you two to meet someone,” is all Gabe said.

“It’s OK, Rich,” Kit said weakly, stumbling alongside Cas. “D-Don’t worry…”

“Quiet,” Cas hissed at her.

Rich went to turn around, but Gabe twisted his arm to stop him. “I told you that she was none of your concern!” he snarled.

Rich wanted to fight against his hold, but he didn’t want Kit to be used against him, so he just continued walking, keeping an ear open for Kit’s shuffling steps behind them.

They all followed the curve of the cavern walls until they came upon Cormac, standing before a whirling aperture that pulsated between varying degrees of that nauseatingly green light that Rich had come to detest. He’d decided that if by some miracle he and Kit got out of this alive, he never wanted to see that shade of green ever again.

_No!_ he told himself as Kit was dragged up beside him. _You_ will _get out! You_ have _to get out!_

“I’ve decided to give you both a little surprise,” Cormac said in his rough, deep voice. He raked his eyes over Kit's form, smiling at how injured she was. “She’s going to be _so_ happy to see you…”

Kit’s eyes widened in horror. “N-No…” She started to struggle in Cas’ hold. “I won’t! I WON’T!”

Rich reached for her, but his arms were wrenched painfully behind his back. “Are you deaf?” Gabe hissed into his ears. “Or do I need to”—a choked cry was pulled from Rich’s lips when he felt one of his fingers break—“do something to remind you?”

“Break ‘em all!” Rich shouted, and lunged against Gabe’s hold. “Break ‘em!”

“Stop it, Rich!” Kit cried, looking at him. “Don’t!”

“Kit!”

“Don’t!” Kit turned to Cormac, shaking in fear. “Pl-Please… Let him go. Let them all go. There must be a way. I’ll help you again, like before. Just,” she swallowed. “Just, don’t make me a puppet...”

“No, Kit!” Rich said, still fighting futilely against Gabe. “I won’t let you!”

Cormac threw back his head in laughter. “Do you think you can actually bargain with me? I don’t care what happens to you. I just want him,” he said, pointing at Rich. “You’ll be my daughter’s whether you agree or not!”

* * *

Gabriel staggered as he and the five others he brought with him appeared in front of the mine in Mexico. He had never made such quick trips between Earth and the other world before. If it had not been for the short rest that the Boss had insisted he take at the Summit, he would have lost consciousness the moment they had arrived.

“Gabriel?” Loki asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. Just pushed myself to get here too fast,” Gabriel answered. It was true; he _had_ been in a hurry. “Everyone else all right?” he asked, turning around. Sam, Dean, and Richard nodded, then Gabriel faced their new “recruit.”

“I’m fine, Uncle Gabriel,” Jack said, looking about. “Are they inside there?” he asked, pointing towards the mine.

“Yep,” Dean said. He looked at the nephilim. “You sure you’re up to this? This place isn’t like where we’re from, ya know.”

“I am here to help, and Cas needs us,” Jack said. “I promise to be careful, just like you told me to.”

“Wish we could’ve gotten more help,” Loki said. Getting Sam and Dean to agree to allow them to ask Jack had been hard enough, and Gabriel had endured a severe reaming from Dean when he had suggested asking for the nephilim’s assistance. The Boss had not been too pleased either. A character with his abilities under the influence of the Odium would be disastrous.

It had been Jack’s pleas for Cas that had won them all over in the end. Jack loved his angel father, whether they were real or not.

Richard peered at the mine. “How deep do we have to go?” he asked. They all knew how he felt about enclosed spaces.

“It’s a good ways, but we’ll be with you. You won’t be alone,” Gabriel assured him, gripping his shoulder. “If you need me to…” He trailed off, trying to let Richard know what he was offering. Gabriel could use grace to ease the human’s claustrophobia somewhat.

“Only if I really need it,” Richard said, still looking at the entrance.

“Will do,” Gabriel said.

Sam pulled out two maps, handing one over to Loki. “You guys have the shaft that heads straight down to the cave. We’re taking the longer route. Remember, this guy’s gonna have guards or some kind of blocks set up.”

Loki looked over the map, though Gabriel knew he had memorized it already. “Everyone prepared?” he asked.

Angel blades were brandished automatically. Richard held his shakily. “Would this really do anything?”

“No idea, but it’ll come in handy in some way, I’m sure,” Gabriel said.

Dean then turned to Jack. “I _really_ don't like that you're here, but we need you on this. _Please_ ,” Dean put his hand on the nephilim’s shoulder. “ _/Please_ don't get cocky and be stupid. Am I clear, kid?"

Jack laid his hand over Dean’s. “Crystal.” He looked over at Sam. “I’ll be careful.”

“Good,” Dean said, patting the side of Jack’s face.

“Let’s go,” Sam said, heading towards the mine. The others followed, and once they were inside they separated and made their way to the mine shafts that would take them to the cavern.

* * *

“Gabe!” Rich shouted desperately to the angel restraining him, fighting through the pain of his broken fingers. “Come on, man! Snap out of it!” He howled when he heard and felt the crunch of another bone splintering in his hand.

“Running out of fingers, Richie,” Gabe sing-songed as he let go of Rich’s mangled left index finger. “He doesn't need you in one piece to get what he wants, ya know.”

Rich was on his knees again, his arms held up behind him by Gabe. He had been moved just far enough away from Kit so he could “think” while their crazed captor brought forth his daughter from wherever she resided. Cormac had literally ripped the air with his bare hands and made some kind of opening and stepped through a short time ago.

It was killing him, seeing Kit trying to remain strong for him while she was hurt, knowing that she was barely managing to keep herself from falling apart inside. Why was he so weak? Why couldn’t he have powers like Gabriel and Loki? Why couldn’t he protect the woman he loved?

Kit’s strained cry had him lurching forward once more. Something was emerging from the tear.

Cormac stepped through first, looking as sick and smug as ever. He turned and extended his hand behind him. A woman exited, and her appearance made Rich want to vomit.

She could’ve been Kit’s twin, minus the cruel look in her eyes and the arrogant, self-assured expression on her face.

Yes, Cormac had definitely created Natharia, making her resemble Kit so he could have her take over his lover’s body.

“Bastard,” Rich whispered.

Natharia looked over in his direction as if she had heard him. She viewed him as if he were a pest that had dared invade her home, and needed to be eliminated immediately. She then turned away from him, dismissing his presence entirely to focus her attention upon Kit, who was trembling in the confines of Cas’ arms.

“We finally have a proper meeting,” she said, her voice sultry and sounding not what Kit would ever sound like. She walked towards her and ran her finger down the middle of Kit’s throat, stopping at the center of her chest. “Yes, my father chose a fine one to model me after. I cannot wait to—”

Her eyes flashed and her hand jerked up to grip Kit’s jaw firmly. “What have you done to my body?!” she demanded.

Kit tried to wrench her face out of the woman’s hand, but it was in vain. “I don’t belong to anyone!” she bit out.

Ignoring her, Natharia placed her other hand flat upon Kit’s chest and closed her eyes. Kit flinched and shouted in pain.

“Please, stop!” Kit begged, twisting her body to try to get away from Natharia. “Please!”

But Natharia merely tightened her grip and pressed harder. Kit tried to elbow Cas, but he just grunted and pushed her towards Natharia even more.

Rich kept straining forward, doing his best to block out the pain in his shoulders and hands. He had to get to her! It didn’t matter what happened to him, even if he had to crawl on his stomach all the way over!

Finally, Natharia opened her eyes and removed both her hands, and Kit fell over in Cas’ arms. She drew in pained lungfuls of air and struggled to keep her eyes open.

“If it weren’t for the fact that I needed this body,” Natharia said, taking a step back from her. “I would reduce you to a pile of bones.” She curled her lip in disgust when Kit shakily raised her sweat-covered face. “You defiled my body— _MY BODY_ —with not one, but _three_ different beings?”

She turned and shot a look at Rich that might’ve made him worry if he hadn’t been so enraged at her treatment of Kit. He returned it in kind, daring her to say one word to him about his, Gabriel’s, and Loki’s “defilement” of Kit.

Natharia smirked at his fearlessness. “Yes, I know that you’re one of those responsible, and if it weren’t for the fact that we need you for my father’s plan, I’d kill you right now.”

Rich saw red and glared straight into her eyes.

“Bite me, bitch.”

* * *

Gabriel, Loki, and Richard stopped dead in their tracks when Rob and Serge appeared in their path. Serge held a dagger in his hand, and it crackled with Hate-filled energy that made Gabriel coat his blade with grace.

Rob popped his knuckles. “Had a feeling that you guys would show up,” he said. He glanced at Richard. “You’re stupid for coming here.”

Richard narrowed his eyes. “And you’re stupid for letting that asshole get to you,” he shot back.

“Just die,” Serge sighed, then lunged forward at Gabriel, who raised his blade to block the attack.

Loki went to help him, but was pulled towards Rob by a flick of his wrist. “Nope, you get to play with me, Candy Man.”

Seething at the insult, Loki attempted to hit him in the face, but Rob stepped out of the way. Loki nearly toppled over, and Rob grabbed his arm and turned him sharply around and wrapped his hand around his throat. “Yield,” he said in a calm, smooth voice.

Across the room, Serge was barely being held off from ramming his dagger into Gabriel’s face by the archangel’s blade. They grappled their weapons for just a short time before Gabriel was pressed back against the nearest wall.

“Get the hell away from me!” Gabriel shouted.

“Now, Gabriel, such crude language! What would your performer—Rich is it?—think?”

“Don’t you DARE speak his name!”

Serge made a swift movement with his dagger, forcing Gabriel down the wall and to his knees. “You were written to be as much a coward as he turned out to be, you know,” he said, pointing to Richard who was standing and watching them all fearfully.

“Don’t bother explaining anything to them, Serge,” Rob said, starting to squeeze Loki’s neck painfully. When Loki tried to headbutt him, Rob brought his other hand down and punched him hard in the ribs. “Nah ah ah, play nice.”

Gabriel took advantage of Serge and Rob being distracted and kicked Serge’s legs out from under him. He jumped forward and threw his body on top of his opponent, and they rolled about on the dirt floor of the mineshaft, each trying to get a hit in with their weapons.

“Gabriel!” Richard shouted.

“You going to just stand there and be a coward as usual?” Rob snarked hatefully. “Why don’t you just take that blade in your hand and get rid of your useless self?”

“Shut up!” Richard shouted, then ran towards Rob and Loki.

“Richard, don’t,” Loki choked out.

There was a cry of pain and they all turned their heads to see Gabriel fly across the room and crash into a pile of machinery. He lay there stunned and didn’t move.

“Gabriel!”

“I doubt he’s going anywhere for a while,” Rob said, smiling. He tilted his head at Loki and smirked. “Why don’t you join him, hmm?” He then picked the pagan god up and threw him in Gabriel’s direction, wiping his hands clean on his shirt as Loki also lay dazed on the ground next to the archangel.

“What the fuck happened to you two?” Richard asked, taking several steps back from his changed friends. “You would’ve never done these things to anyone before!”

“Yeah, well, that was also before we were forced to become nomads and treated like freaks!” Serge snapped. He twirled his dagger in his hand like a baton. “Before we were stopped from going home.”

“Why were you allowed to go back home, but not us, huh Richard? Why did your performer and my performer let you back and not us? Why are you so special?” Rob sneered.

“I didn’t do anything! It was Cormac! The Odium! The Guardians were only trying to protect our world! And Rich and Robbie never abandoned us! They’re always—”

“Oh shut up! Creators are always saying, ‘Oh, we’ll always come back! We’re making plans! Blah, blah, blah!’ The Arbiter told us that they’re lies!” Serge said, moving closer to Richard.

“NO! They want what’s best for us! Even if it takes forever, or…or even if we only have one season, one season that we’re loved and remembered for always,” Richard said passionately. “ _THAT’S_ the truth! Cormac is the liar!”

Rob rolled his eyes. “You are so blind, Richard. Has your performer really led you to believe that? All creators care about is the next project, the next ‘big thing.’ We’re nothing but toys for them to toss aside when they get bored of us.”

Richard felt his heart break. Was that what they truly thought? Was that what he himself had truly thought? What had led him to drinking and trying to end his existence?

Maybe they had a point about creators. Maybe it wasn’t worth trying to deny it any longer. He was probably foolish for thinking he could find happiness with someone else. To find love—

He shook his head. _No._ Love wasn’t imaginary. And _Rich_ had helped him and Gabe find each other. Rich couldn’t have made him and Gabe fall in love. That was _real._ He wouldn’t give up on them. Wouldn’t give up on Gabe, either.

Because Gabe would never give up on him.

_God, I love you, Gabe…_

“No, your minds have been warped by Cormac and the Odium. This isn’t you,” Richard said firmly.

Serge scoffed. “Why should we listen to you? All you do is lie. Did you tell your angel lover about your past liaisons? Your marriages? Or does he think he’s the only one you’ve ever _loved?_ ” Serge spit out the last word like it left a bad taste in his mouth.

Richard narrowed his eyes, hating the sight of the Hate marks that marred the necks of his friends. Serge without the corruption would know that he'd never keep anything hidden from Gabe. “Please, you both need help. I got it, and you can get it too.”

“We don’t want your help,” Rob snapped, then started to rush forward, but before he had taken even two strides, a pair of hands—Gabriel’s hands—grabbed his arms and pulled him back.

Beside him, Serge had also been grabbed by Loki. Richard watched in amazement as the archangel and trickster shoved Rob and Serge towards one another and forced their grace and magic into them, creating a circuit of their powers that quickly turned into a feedback loop. Rob and Serge laughed at first, but soon they started to scream in pain and fainted dead away.

Gabriel and Loki unceremoniously dropped them to the ground and looked at each other.

“You good?” they both said at the same time, then smiled.

Richard hurried forward. “Please tell me you didn’t...?” he asked worriedly, staring down at his friends.

“They’re out for the count, but not sure for how long. We weren’t even certain it would work,” Gabriel assured him. He made sure his blade was back in place, then looked further down the tunnel. “Let’s go before they wake up.”

* * *

“Ahhh, shit, really? Kevin?” Dean said, walking into where the mineshaft opened to a small room that was apparently being used for storage. He was getting really tired of how dark this place was, lit only by the artificial lighting hanging loosely along the side of the walls.

He was hoping the person he was seeing _wasn’t_ the prophet he had come to consider family, yet—

“That’s not Kevin,” Jack said, interrupting Dean’s thoughts.

The character gave a haunting laugh. “No idea who you are, but you’re right.” He looked at his nails and sighed. “God it’s so boring here, but needs must.”

“Who are you?” Sam asked.

“Osric,” Osric said, not looking up.

“Well, _Osric_ , get out of the way if you’re so _bored_ ,” Dean said.

Osric seemed to contemplate Dean’s words, then shook his head. “Naah, can’t do that.” He looked up and shrugged. “The Arbiter and my friends wouldn’t appreciate it.”

“Well, I guess we gotta convince ya then.”

“OK,” Osric shrugged.

Dean looked over at Sam and gave him an “Are you kidding me?” expression. Sam just raised his blade, touched Jack’s arm to make sure he was prepared, then signaled for them all to strike.

It didn’t go well.

No matter how much they coordinated, no matter what they did, they couldn’t land a blow on Osric. He deflected each and every one of their attempts to land a hit upon him. He blocked with his hands, the sides of his arms, his legs. He ducked, rolled, even flipped and twisted his body out of their reach.

Dean cursed when they fell back to get their bearings. “Shit dude,” he breathed. “He’s like fucking Mr. Miyagi on steroids! A final boss in a kung fu game!”

“We need to use a different strategy,” Sam said, watching Osric casually walk up and down in front of the corridor they were wanting to enter. “It’s obvious that we can’t use physical attacks.” He looked over at Jack, who was listening intently to their conversation. “We may need to use something else entirely.”

Dean smiled. “Heh, I think I’m following.”

Their next group effort a moment later was completely different. Only Sam and Dean converged on Osric, and once again he evaded their attempts to overtake him with ease. The brothers were relentless as they sought to bring him down, keeping him focused on them entirely.

As a result, he was totally unprepared when Jack appeared behind him and latched his hands on to either side of his head. He reached up to rip the nephilim’s hands off of his skull, but Jack’s eyes flared their brilliant shade of fire yellow.

“Don’t hurt my fathers,” Jack said in a calm voice, and the brothers watched in silence as Osric’s eyes rolled up into the back of his head. His body jerked once, twice, then went limp and fell back against Jack.

“It worked!” Sam said in relief. After Jack removed his hands, he took Osric’s body and laid him on the ground. “He’s unconscious,” he said, looking up at Jack and noticing his worried frown. “You didn’t hurt him.”

The tense expression on Jack’s face abated. “I’m glad. I did exactly what you suggested I do.”

“Good job, kid,” Dean said, clamping a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “You did us proud.”

Jack beamed. “Thank you.”

“Let’s go guys. The others might be there already,” Sam said, standing up and leading them onward.

* * *

Rich had been dragged painfully to Kit’s side while Natharia had gone to converse out of their hearing with Cormac. The air in the room felt like it was getting hotter, and he didn’t know if it was because of his injuries or his increased panic or adrenalin—or maybe all three—but his clothes stuck to every inch of his body with sweat. He looked over at Kit by his side, wishing once again that he had some kind of ability to help her.

He looked into her eyes, willing her to see that he was there for her, despite what was happening to them.

“Gabe, Cas,” he whispered to the angels behind him. “Please, let us go…”

Gabe kicked him. “Quiet.”

“Please…” Kit begged. “We’re your friends.”

“Snap out of it!” Rich said. “You guys are stronger than this!” He turned his head painfully to look up into Gabe’s face. “Think of Richard, Gabe!”

Gabe laughed. "Hah! _Richard…_ He's just as useless as all of you! Can't believe I wasted my time on his sorry ass."

Kit’s eyes widened in disbelief. “No, Gabe! You love him! Remember, you love Richard!”

A conflicted look passed over Gabe’s eyes and his mouth twitched downward for a split second. Cas, who had been quiet during their entire exchange so far, said, “Gabe” in a firm voice, making Gabe’s gaze grow hard and cold.

"No... He's weak and useless. I don't need that."

“You do need him!” Kit said, tears appearing in her eyes. “And he needs you! He loves you, Gabe!”

Gabe looked over at Cas. “We need to see if they need us for anything,” he said, ignoring Kit. He threw Rich to the ground, causing him to grind his teeth and groan sharply. They then pushed Kit to her knees, jerking her bruised wrists behind her and using their tainted grace to secure them and her ankles together. Cas dug one of his feet into Rich’s back in silent warning, then walked towards the others.

“Rich! Are you alright?” Kit asked worriedly as Gabe followed after Cas.

Rich nodded against the ground, feeling tiny shards of crystal cut against the side of his face. He knew that his entire body was covered in them at this point. “It’s OK, Kitty,” he tried to console her.

She started to cry softly.

He turned his head and looked up at her. “D-Don’t cry, Darlin’,” he said. God, it hurt to see her cry. And it was going to hurt even more to say what he needed to say next. “Kit, if-if by some miracle you get loose—”

She looked straight at him and cut him off. “ _Don’t you dare finish that sentence, Richard Speight_ ,” she ground out between her tears. She glared at him, both angry and scared now.

Rich looked at her imploringly. “I’m serious, Kit.”

“So am I. We're not leaving each other, remember?"

Her eyes widened in fear when the cave filled with bright, hellish, sea-green light. Rich groaned and turned his head to see for himself.

The largest portal he’d ever seen had been brought into existence by Cormac. The silhouettes of the four others in the room were before it, and terror flooded his veins. What were they going to do?!

He whipped his head back to Kit. “Fight the restraints they put on you, Kit! Get out of here! _GET OUT OF HERE!!!_ ” he screamed.

* * *

Sam, Dean, and Jack ran down the corridor, noticing that it narrowed significantly.

“Why just him there, I wonder,” Sam said.

Dean gave him a quick look over his shoulder. "They must consider this route less likely to be used for some reason or other."

Sam mulled over Dean’s words. “If that’s true, then we may be in for more trouble…”

They continued for several more minutes, keeping alert for any signs of more characters. They didn’t talk, and tried to keep their breathing as quiet as possible.

A dim light met their eyes as they near the end of the corridor, and they slowed and took their time edging towards it. They stepped out and looked in shocked wonder at what was giving off the faint illumination.

It was a vast lake of water, reflecting the multitudes of lanterns that lined the walls of the large area they had entered. From what they could tell, the water was deep, and they couldn’t see to the other side.

“This is where all the water went to,” Sam said. “This is where Cormac put it.” He knelt down and hovered his hand over the top of the water. “It feels hot.” He leaned closer and his eyes widened. “Crap, it’s-it’s _simmering_ , it’s so hot!”

“Yeah, I don’t think we’re going swimming today,” Dean said.

“How are we going to get across?”

“I can fly you both across,” Jack said.

They both turned to him. “You sure about that? You can’t even see the other side,” Sam said. “You’ve never even been here.”

“I can still fly you both across,” Jack insisted.

“Whoa whoa whoa,” Dean said, raising a hand. “You mean _literally_ fly across?”

“Yes,” Jack said, nodding his head.

“Like, pick us up, fly across?”

“Well, more like hover? The ceiling is kinda low,” Jack said, looking up.

Dean turned sharply to Sam. “Sam…” he almost whined.

Sam smiled at his brother apologetically. “We don’t really have a choice, Dean.”

“Dammit.”

Jack held out an arm, and Dean reluctantly took it while Sam did the same on Jack’s other side. “Just hold on to me tightly,” Jack said reassuringly. He pulled the brothers close to him, encouraging them to wrap their arms around his torso.

“Here we go,” he said. He brought out his wings and lifted them all a handful of feet into the air, then started to take them across the lake.

“Uh, Jack?” Dean said after a few moments.

“Yes?”

“Why so slow?”

Jack made a confused face. "Because I can't see where we're going."

"Dean, stop...side-seat…hovering..." Sam stammered.

Dean huffed. “That was stupid.”

“Just shut up.”

* * *

Gabriel’s eyes widened in fear as he turned the corner and saw a burst of that hated light pour from a large opening ahead. That must be the cavern. He raised a hand, motioning for his companions to stop.

They knew the drill now.

He held his arms to his sides, then felt them place their hands on his elbows.

He was just about to teleport them to the cavern’s entrance when Rich’s voice rang out, terrified, “ _GET OUT OF HERE!!!_ ”

Gabriel’s head jerked over to Loki, who nodded quickly.

“Let’s go, Angel.”

* * *

Kit shook her head frantically. “I won’t do it, Rich!”

“I’m serious, Kit!”

“I am too!”

Rich slowly closed and opened his eyes, taking a deep breath as he smiled and gazed up at her.

“Whatever happens, Kitty, just know that I love you, OK?”

Her blue eyes went soft. “You know I know that. And I love you too, you stupid man.”

They both jumped in shock when a voice they thought they’d never hear again boomed across the cavern.

“ALRIGHT YOU FUCKERS! ENOUGH PLAYING WITH YOUR DEMENTED LIGHT SHOW!”

Rich and Kit turned their heads and could’ve wept at the sight of Gabriel and Loki standing in the cave. And was that...Richard?

Cormac nearly doubled over in laughter. “You don't seriously think that we didn’t know that you were here already, did you?”

Gabriel crossed his arms. “Of course we did, but I think that you’re lying, because otherwise, you would’ve had this place blocked off for archangels.” He cut his eyes over at Cas and Gabe. “They both know how to do that.”

When neither confirmed nor denied his words, Gabriel smirked. “Just as I thought: whatever you’ve done to them isn’t exactly very efficient, is it?”

Natharia rolled her eyes. “This is wasting our time!” She waved her hand in Gabriel, Loki, and Richard’s direction and they disappeared. As the sounds of shattering crystals echoed from the other end of the cave—indicating where she had sent them—she looked at Cas and Gabe. “Take care of them!”

Rich and Kit cried out their lovers’ names in alarm as the two corrupted angels took off to the other side of the cave. However, the two humans both stopped abruptly when Natharia and Cormac stalked towards them. “NO!” Kit shouted, seeing the determined look in her doppelgänger’s eyes. “I won’t! I WON’T!”

“Stop it! Don’t do this!” Rich fought as Cormac lifted him to his feet and dragged him over to the swirling vortex. “Kit! Fight her!” he called over his shoulder. “Fight her!”

Cormac jerked him by his shirt, and he winced as it made his hands thump against his back. He was forced to look into Cormac’s putrid face as the being said, “She’s my daughter’s now to control, as you will be mine to command, just like your friends.”

Rich spit in his face. “I’ll die first!”

Cormac made no move to wipe the saliva from his face. “Oh, I won’t let you. You’ve changed too much, so that lets me have a little control over that.”

“LIAR!”

“Try me,” Cormac smiled dangerously. “I just wish you would let me.”

* * *

Gabriel grit his teeth as Cas yanked him to his feet by his hair. “Cas! It’s me! Gabriel! I’ve known you since before you even knew yourself!” He tried to reach out to touch him, but Cas shot out a hand and slapped him.

“You know nothing about me,” he said in a smooth, calm voice. “Don’t touch me,” he added. He started to drag him by his hair towards the portal, and Loki, still on the ground, shouted.

“Stop!”

Gabe, standing over the pagan god, kicked him in the face, making the trickster topple over from where he’d been trying to get to his feet. “What’s with you guys and not staying in your places?” he said, shaking his head. He turned to look down at Richard, who was looking at him tearfully. “What’s your problem? No booze around to drown your sorrows?”

“You don’t mean that,” Richard said, lowering his head and staring at his hands where they rested flat on the ground. “This isn’t you talking.”

“Oh, it’s me alright,” Gabe said, dropping to his haunches before him. “Look, it’s nothing personal,” he said, using his hand to lift Richard’s face. He then tilted his head when he discovered that the human was close to losing it. “Well, OK,” he said, shrugging. “I guess it is a _little_ personal. I mean, we fucked and all, right?”

Loki listened in horror as Gabe continued to torment Richard, watched as Gabriel fought with Cas as the seraph tried to drag him away. _Where are you guys?!_ he thought, thinking of Dean, Sam, and Jack.

He struggled to his feet, narrowly dodging the fist that Gabe sent his way. He took off after Gabriel and Cas and wrapped his arms around the seraph’s neck, pulling with all his strength to try to topple him over.

Gabriel pushed, working with Loki. Cas’ eyes pulsed, and he held his own easily. He knotted his fingers in Gabriel’s hair, tugging so hard that Loki saw clumps of it rip from his angel’s scalp. But Gabriel didn’t stop helping Loki, screaming through the pain.

Loki caught his angel’s eyes, and Gabriel gave him a quick nod. However, Cas also saw it, and before either of them could do anything about it, an angel blade was shoved through Gabriel’s right bicep with a wet, sickening squelch.

“GABRIEL!” Loki cried. He almost loosened his grip on Cas in his panic. “GABRIEL!”

Gabriel heaved and gasped. The angel blade had been doused with Ether. “I-I’m…” He tried to focus his eyes on Loki. “Just do it, Loki.”

Cas glared at him. “I’ll send more into you if you don’t let me go,” he threatened.

“You won’t,” Gabriel said. “Just do it, Loki,” he told his lover again.

“Gabriel…”

“NOW LOKI!”

The next instant Cas was shouting as the grace-magic flowed in and over him. Gabriel had to close his eyes to keep from fainting. When Cas went limp, Loki lowered him to the ground, then jumped up to catch Gabriel when his knees buckled.

“Idiot,” Loki scolded him gently.

“I’m OK…”

“Ahem.”

They turned at the sound, then felt their blood freeze.

Gabe had Richard held against him, the human’s back to his chest, his hand wrapped around his throat.

“Did you guys forget about little ‘ole me?”

* * *

“That’s not good,” Dean said, seeing the stand-off between their friends.

“What should we do?” Jack asked.

“We need to get over there without any of them realizing that we’re here,” Sam answered.

They had arrived just after Cas had been knocked out. Like Gabriel had theorized, neither of the angels had been aware that they’d been on their way, so they had kept a close watch on what was happening, only wanting to enter if things got too hairy.

“I think we should go now,” Jack said.

“I’m with ya,” Dean said. He looked over at his brother. “Sam?”

Sam nodded. “Gabe looks like he’s desperate to do anything.” He touched Jack’s arm. “Can we get close enough to subdue him?”

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Jack said. He quickly took Sam and Dean’s shoulders. “Now?”

“Go!” Dean said.

* * *

“Gabe,” Gabriel said, standing with a bit of difficulty on his own. “Don’t hurt him.”

“I won’t if you go stand next to Rich and do everything that Cormac says,” Gabe said.

Richard raised his hands and curled them over Gabe’s wrist. “G-Gabe, please…”

“Shut up!” Gabe snapped. “Or I’ll just end you for the hell of it!”

“You don’t want to do that, Gabe,” Loki warned, holding up a hand calmly.

“You don’t know what I want, so you can shut up too!”

“Gabe—”

A flap of wings. Three bodies appearing. Arms and legs moving about, shouts, cursing. Crystals being crushed, a cry of pain.

When all had mostly settled, Gabe was being held back by Sam and Dean, with Jack’s hands on either side of Gabe’s neck. Richard was staring at them with tears in his eyes and had dark, ugly purple bruises forming around his neck. He seemed oblivious to the pain they were causing him, and his face only showed worry for Gabe as the angel tried to break away from their friends’ restraining hold.

“Gabe? Are you alright?” Richard asked, taking a tentative step forward.

“Oh fuck off, you worthless piece of trash,” Gabe bit out, rolling his eyes as he thrashed about.

“Gabe…”

“I SAID FUCK OFF!”

* * *

“You’re going to lose,” Kit said smugly. They could both hear the noises from the fight at the other end of the cave. “You’re going to lose, and you’re going to pay,” she added, glaring up at Natharia from her position on the ground.

“No, we’re just beginning,” Natharia said. She gazed down at Kit and roved her eyes over her. “We still have leverage.”

“What are you talking about?”

Natharia laughed, and the sound made chills run down Kit’s spine. “You are so stupidly naive. Haven’t you figured it out yet?”

Kit remained silent.

Natharia twirled a lock of her hair with a finger. “Don’t play dumb; you’ve been suspecting it for a while now.”

“Yeah, suspecting that you and Cormac are insane,” Kit snapped. She glowered as she added, “And you really are going to lose, ya know.”

“So stupidly naive,” Natharia cooed, reaching down and stroking a hand along Kit’s face.

Kit’s eyes widened as she jerked her head back, nearly toppling over. “ _Don’t touch me!_ "

"There’s no need to get upset,” Natharia shrugged. “Don’t you want to be reassured about what will happen after I take your body? What will happen with your—”

Kit narrowed her eyes. “All you and Cormac do is manipulate people, use people! Y-You’re going to use _me_ to hurt everyone! Why should you care about ‘reassuring’ me?" Her next words were nearly growled out. “You do nothing but slaughter!”

"Big words, from someone who can't even say 'I love you' to the ones they care about most!" Natharia shot back.

Kit squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away, guilt, anger, and fear warring within her

Natharia casually gestured towards the other end of the cavern. "I'll let your other lovers live if you cooperate."

"LIAR!" Kit shouted, struggling against her restraints. “You’ll say anything to get what you want!”

"I'd much rather do this with you agreeing... It'll work out so much better,” Natharia said, sighing as if Kit was giving her a hard time. “Work out so much better for all who will be involved.”

Kit only glared at her defiantly.

"FINE,” Natharia snapped. “We'll do this the hard way—like we’ve always done."

* * *

“Come on,” Gabriel gasped against Loki’s shoulder. “While they’re distracted.”

“Gabriel, you’re hurt,” Loki said in disagreement, eyeing Gabriel’s wound. “I need to get you somewhere—”

“No Loki.” Gabriel straightened himself, wincing in pain. “You and I are stronger together. I still have enough left in me for one more take-down if we need it.”

Loki gave him a disapproving glare, yet the defiant look the archangel sent him told him that it was futile to argue any further. “I swear, Angel, if you end up seriously hurt I will kill you,” he said angrily, taking Gabriel by the arm and walking around a cluster of crystals towards the now vibrating portal.

Gabriel smirked at Loki’s empty threat. “I’ll do my best,” he said dryly.

* * *

Cormac stepped aside and plunged his hands into the rapidly swirling Ether, moving his arms in an intricate pattern, speaking the language known only to the Guardians. Rich watched him, wanting to rush forward and push him inside of it, to try to end all this madness once and for all.

Even if he himself had to go with him.

But that bitch daughter of his had Kit at her mercy. For all he knew, she would still have control of all the other brainwashed characters, even if Cormac were dead and gone.

It made him furiously frustrated and pissed off.

“You know,” he said behind Cormac’s back. “Your brothers and sisters want to try and save you.”

Cormac continued with his actions.

“But I don’t think they’d feel the same way if they could see you right now. I think they would let me kill you, just like what I’ve been wanting to do the moment I found out that you were the one responsible for hurting Kit. The one responsible for causing all the bullshit that’s been happening for years now.”

“Don’t talk to my father that way, you disgusting parasite.”

Rich turned and glared hatefully as Natharia walked up with Kit in front of her. “It’s all because of you humans that my father has had to resort to what he has done. He once had a wonderful world to watch over. He cared for his charges. Loved them more than anything. But when the creator decided to not finish his work and destroyed it by tossing it aside, all of it was sent straight to the Edge to be Purged.

“My father tried so hard to save them. He went to the Edge himself, reached for the characters who screamed for him to rescue them. They clung to him, dug their fingers into his skin.” She gestured to the deep, ugly Hate marks that covered Cormac’s body. “But it was useless. The pull of the Edge and Purge is too strong, even for a Guardian. All my father could do was watch as they were ripped apart and annihilated from existence.

“My father sat for days by the Edge, wanting it to take him too; but it didn’t. Something wouldn’t let it take him—”

Cormac spun around. “The Odium chose me to change it all! I became its benefactor! I am allowed to punish those who would squander and take advantage of the gifts they are freely given to create. _I’m_ going to use those gifts now. I will use the Odium to start it all over again, recreate my world that was taken from me by its worthless creator. Recreate the characters that didn’t deserve to die. I will merge all the worlds into one giant, endless Utopia where no character has to live in fear of being abandoned ever again.

“And I will start with your world,” he continued, pointedly looking at Rich. “Use it as a stepping stone to enter the world that has your co-creator’s most powerful character. Then I will go from world to world, expand my influence, go to my siblings’ worlds, show them the Odium’s true path or”—he shrugged—“kill them if they refuse to see the true way.”

“But the Guardians are changing the old ways! If you’d just let go of what the Odium has done to you—” Kit tried to begin.

“Shut up, you wretched harlot!” Cormac shouted, cutting her off. “Your usefulness has nearly come to an end anyway!”

Rich wished he could reach out and touch Kit, speak to her the way he and their lovers had learned to do. Maybe together they could both find a way to push both Cormac and Natharia into the vortex.

The situation was getting more and more hopeless…

* * *

“Stop it, Gabe!” Sam shouted, jerking on the angel’s right arm. “You’re being controlled!”

“No, this _is_ me!” Gabe retorted, kicking back with his foot, trying to hit Sam in his thigh and missing.

Jack sent a light jolt of power through his hands against Gabe’s skin. “Please, Gabe, don’t make me hurt you,” he said.

Gabe hissed. “I can take it,” he grit out. “And I’ll kill all of you before you take me down!”

“Gabe, please,” Richard begged, reaching out to touch his face.

“Touch me and I’ll throw you over the Edge where you should’ve died in the first place!”

Richard flinched back and looked away. “I…”

Dean’s face fell at Richard’s reaction and he glowered as he pulled Gabe hard towards him. “Look at me,” he said in a tight voice to the angel.

Gabe huffed.

“LOOK AT ME DAMMIT!”

Gabe rolled his eyes and smugly turned his head towards him.

“I don’t give a flying _fuck_ that you’ve been brainwashed, but you WILL listen, or so help me GOD I will make Jack FORCE you to, _GOT IT?_ ”

“Yeah, uh-huh.”

Dean cut his eyes at Jack, who widened his eyes, but nodded grimly. His eyes lit up briefly as he shocked Gabe, who seized up, fire-like pain racing through his body.

Richard ran forward, shouting, “STOP IT! STOP IT!” and sighed in relief when Gabe went limp.

Dean’s face was full of regret. “He’s almost too far gone. I’m sorry.”

Sam nodded sadly. “I don’t like it either, Richard. But maybe this way—”

A dark, disturbing chuckle came from Gabe. “Do you think you can get me to cave so easily?”

“Gabe,” Richard said softly, leaning forward and cupping Gabe’s face with his palms. “Please, listen to me.”

Without warning, there was a flash of brilliant copper and Dean, Sam, and Jack were blown back by a powerful gust of wind. Richard screamed in pain and there was a sickening sound of flesh being pierced and a bright splash of crimson.

Jack, Sam, and Dean were thrown against the nearest stand of crystals, shards and clouds of the chalky dust that covered the structures going everywhere. The three characters groaned as they got their bearings and stood, freezing in fear and opening their mouths in shock at the sight before them.

Gabe was kneeling completely over Richard, and he had just one wing released—something Sam, Dean, and Jack would’ve asked questions about if not for their current situation—and it was pulsing with grace, one large primary feather stabbing straight through Richard’s left shoulder. It was so deeply embedded that the tip was buried in the cave floor, a small pool of blood forming beneath the wounded human’s body.

“Richard!” Jack shouted, taking a step forward.

Sam shot out an arm to stop him. “Don’t Jack,” he said. “There’s no telling what he’ll do.”

Richard was struggling not to vomit from the pain that was radiating from his shoulder. He was also struggling not to cry from the look of pure loathing in the eyes of the angel that he loved above him. Gabe had always looked at him with love, with tenderness. Had always touched him gently, comforted him.

Not like this… Never like this...

“Stop it.”

Richard swallowed at Gabe’s words. “Wh-What?” he managed to say.

“Stop looking at me like that,” Gabe said sternly.

“L-Like what?” Richard felt a tear escape his eye and roll slowly down the side of his face.

“Like that!” Gabe shouted, pushing his feather harder into Richard. Richard clenched his teeth tightly and made a pained sound, but refused to close his eyes. “Stop it!”

“Gabe,” Richard gasped. “Please, come back to me.”

Gabe shook his head. “This _is_ me!”

Whimpering in pain, Richard raised a trembling hand to try to touch Gabe’s face.

“Remember watching the sunsets on the beach in Hahei?” Richard almost touched his angel’s face, but Gabe jerked out of his reach.

Yet Richard continued speaking. “Remember the plans we talked about? Remember—”

“They were meaningless,” Gabe cut in harshly. “Pointless. Cormac showed me so much _more_ that I can do! Who cares about such fantasies!”

“Gabe, they’re not fantasies!” Richard said, curling his hand into a fist. “They are our _dreams!_ ”

“Who cares about dreams?”

“I do,” Richard said softly. He uncurled his fingers and started to move his hand closer to Gabe once more. “You do too, still. I know you do.”

Gabe’s eyes looked back and forth across Richard’s face. “You don’t…”

“Gabe, please...try to remember…”

Unbidden, Gabe’s eyes sparked blue with his true grace, but it faded quickly. He shook his head. “N-No…” He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth. “It’s a lie…”

Richard quickly grasped the side of his angel’s face. “Gabe! Don’t give up!”

“Richard…?”

“Listen to me, Gabe…” Richard shifted and hissed as the pain in his shoulder intensified. “R-Remember the beach house? I-I sang to you?”

Gabe nodded, then opened his eyes and frowned. “I don’t know…”

“Let me sing to you again, my light…

_...You always say your name  
Like I wouldn't know it's you  
At your most beautiful”_

Gabe’s eyes widened. He knew that voice. He’d heard it so many times. How could he have forgotten?

_”...whisper I love you  
I let you sleep  
I know your closed eye watching me  
Listening  
I thought I saw a smile”_

He remembered Richard holding him when he’d have flashbacks. When he’d been scared of being alone. During his panic attacks. After making love. After their fights.

_”I've found a way to make you”_

And Richard always forgave him, because Richard loved him…

_”I've found a way”_

...and he loved Richard.

_”A way to make you smile”_ *

Richard’s voice faded as he finished singing, and Gabe realized that he was crying.

But yet…

“I can’t…” Gabe licked the salty wetness from his lips. “I still can’t _hear_ you. I can’t,” he closed his eyes and winced. “I can’t focus through the noise.” He opened his eyes and looked down at Richard helplessly, his eyes blinking back and forth between their normal honey-amber hue and the sick color of the infected Ether inside him. “H-Help me…”

“I’ve got you, Gabe,” Richard said as he gently pulled Gabe’s head down to his chest, heedless of the blood that had soaked his shirt. He stroked his fingers through the angel’s hair. “Listen, Gabe, listen…”

Gabe didn’t fight him and let himself relax against Richard. It felt right to be here. The human’s heartbeat filled him, and slowly it pushed the chaotic sounds of the Odium out of his mind. A warm sensation enveloped his torso, centered upon the enlarged scar that covered it. He could feel the Hate mark shrinking, retracting until it was the same size as it was before.

* * *

Sam, Dean, and Jack watched in awe as the tainted Ether drifted out of Gabe’s back in dusty sparkles and disintegrated into nothing.

Along with Richard’s singing, it was one of the most beautiful things they had ever witnessed.

“How…?” Dean asked.

“Love,” Jack said simply.

Sam smiled. The nephilim was wiser than they gave him credit for sometimes.

“Jack, stay here with them,” Dean said. “Sam, you and I need to go follow after Gabriel and Loki.”

* * *

The portal was whirling so fast now that it made both Rich and Kit feel nauseated just to glance at it. They also heard the commotion from the other side of the cave, and felt their hope of being saved dwindle with each passing moment.

Rich had finally decided that, despite his earlier promise, he really would sacrifice himself if it came down to it. Too many people he loved and cared about were in peril. All of this centered around him, he knew that now. He didn’t understand why the Cosmos or whatever the hell it was chose him for this mess, but he knew that he himself had a choice, and he’d choose their lives over his any day.

“Ready, daughter?” he heard Cormac say. Rich raised his eyes, glaring in disdain at the once-Guardian. “We can transfer you now.”

“Stop!” Rich cried out.

Cormac and Natharia turned to him expectantly.

“Yes?” Cormac said.

“I-I’ll do it,” he said.

“Rich, NO!” Kit shouted, then shrieked when Natharia jerked her forward.

“You’re an idiot,” the woman scoffed. “I already have her,” she said to Rich. She marched Kit over to stand before her father. “Let’s proceed.”

“But you’ll still do it anyway, of course,” Cormac said, a slimy grin plastering itself on his face as he turned away from Rich to face Kit and Natharia.

Rich kept his eyes riveted on Kit. _Gabriel_ , he prayed. _Gabriel, help!_

* * *

Loki had to keep Gabriel from rushing forward after the archangel heard Rich’s prayer. It was all they needed, for him to be captured as well.

“We need to wait for the right time,” Loki whispered. He decided to inspect Gabriel’s wound. “Are you alright?”

“Don’t worry about me,” Gabriel nearly snapped, then gave Loki an apologetic look. “Sorry, Sugar.” He moved his arm up and down. “I’m healing faster than I was before.”

“Don’t worry about it, Angel. I’m not exactly at my best either.”

“Hey guys,” they heard Sam whisper.

They both turned quickly, surprised to see the Winchesters stalking forward quietly.

“What are you doing here?!” Gabriel hissed. “Where’s Richard?”

“He’s fine. He got through to Gabe. Jack’s with them,” Dean explained.

Loki and Gabriel looked surprised. “How? Tell us everything,” Loki demanded.

* * *

“Easy,” Jack said, gently helping Gabe to roll over and sit beside Richard. Though Gabe hated it, he was careful not to move nor remove his wing from Richard’s shoulder.

“I-I didn’t even know I could do that,” Gabe said, his voice full of guilt. He put a shaking hand on Richard’s chest. “I’m never going to be able to forgive myself, Richard. I’m so sorry.”

“It wasn’t yourself who did it, Babe,” Richard said weakly. “I don’t blame you, alright?”

Jack placed his hand beside the wound. “Gabe, when I say ‘Go,’ pull it out, OK?”

Gabe swallowed, then nodded. “OK.”

Jack looked at Richard, who nodded as well.

“Go!”

Richard cried out as the feather, made nearly razor-sharp by grace, slid out. Jack immediately slammed his hand over the hole that was revealed, his palm and eyes lighting up with the unique color of his own grace.

In barely no time at all, Richard’s injury was healed, and he was wrapped up in his lover’s arms. “Oh God, Richard, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” Gabe repeated into his hair.

“Gabe,” Richard said, holding on to him tightly. “It’s OK. Please stop saying that.”

Gabe took Richard’s face in his hands. “I didn’t mean anything I said. I don’t ever want you to die. I would die if you died. You’re the reason I live. You’re—”

His, Richard’s, and Jack’s heads shot up and looked fearfully all over the ceiling and walls when a huge cacophony of sounds began to issue forth from over by the vortex of Ether.

* * *

“Time for me to enter my new home,” Natharia sing-songed. She tilted Kit’s head around to face her. “Don’t be frightened. I’ll let you enjoy everything that goes on, so you won’t miss a minute of what goes on with”—she glanced over at Rich, then back at her—“Well, maybe I will.”

“Leave them alone!” Kit shouted. “They didn’t do anything to you!”

“What is she talking about?!” Rich demanded. “Kit!”

Natharia smiled. “Yes, Kit. What _are_ we talking about?”

“Fuck you!”

“Hmmph!” Natharia leaned forward. “Father, if you will?”

Cormac stuck a finger into the portal and a tendril of Ether wrapped itself around it. He pulled it out like taffy, then handed it to Natharia. “There you are.”

“Lovely,” she said, settling it about her head like a crown. “This might hurt,” she warned, chuckling. She grasped Kit’s jaw firmly, then went to press their lips together.

Just before they touched, Kit was tugged harshly away, and Natharia went sprawling onto the ground. She pushed herself to her knees and looked angrily towards the person who had interrupted her.

She saw Kit standing behind Rich, who had his arms spread protectively in front of her. “Stay the fuck away from her!” he seethed, his eyes alight with pure, unadulterated fury. “You will never touch her again!”

Natharia started to laugh. “You fool! I’m touching her right now! I’m inside her even as we speak!”

Rich felt Kit shaking behind him. He knew this, but that didn’t mean he wanted _more_ of this sick bitch in her. “So what? We’ll figure out a way to get you out of her.”

“Optimism will get you nowhere,” Cormac said. “The only person who can remove my daughter’s essence is me.”

Natharia stood. “So you see, whatever you hope to do, it’s a lost cause. Just submit. You’ll never be able to escape me.”

There was a flutter of wings, which had become one of the most glorious sounds in the world to Rich.

“That’s what you think, you crazy bitch!” Gabriel announced when he, Loki, Sam, and Dean appeared in front of Rich and Kit. “I suggest you and your batshit crazy old man just shove off!”

“Father!” Natharia cried, whirling around to face Cormac. “Just let it all out!”

Cormac smirked. “I always knew that I made the right choice in creating you.” He turned and started to pull long ropes of Ether from the vortex, attaching the ends to the ground.

“What are they doing?!” Dean said.

“I don’t know, but whatever it is, it doesn’t look good,” Sam replied.

“He’s going to release it all at once…” Gabriel said in disbelief.

“We have to stop him!” Rich said. He turned and drew Kit away to the far wall, taking her by the shoulders and gritting his teeth against the pain that had become a dull, deep throb in his broken fingers. “I know you’re hurting, sweetheart, but you need to get out of here!”

“No! I won’t leave you!” Kit said, shaking her head.

Gabriel and Loki quickly came to stand on either side of them. The archangel took stock of their injuries and, before Rich and Kit could protest, he ran his fingers across both their brows to heal them.

He then looked at Kit. “Run to Jack like he said, baby doll! Please!”

“Gabriel, no!”

“Kit.”

She turned at Loki’s voice. “We can’t let you stay here. Look what’s happening!”

“I can’t let the men I love just die!” she shouted.

Gabriel and Loki stared at her in awe for a second, but quickly recovered. “Kit, I love you too, but we can’t let you die either!” Gabriel begged her with wet eyes.

Kit turned to Loki. “ _Please_ Loki, I don’t want to be alone…” She fell against him. “Please…”

Loki kissed her hair, visibly fighting with his emotions. “Kitten, you living is what we want most.” He pulled her back to look at her. “Understand? That’s what we want.”

“But I love you…”

He swallowed and softly pressed her head to his shoulder. “I love you too, but you can’t stay here…” he whispered low in her ear.

Her face crumbled as she fell against him once more. “Why did you have to say that now?!” she wailed, hitting his chest with her fists. “Damn you!”

She suddenly stiffened and raised her head. Concerned at her abrupt change in behavior, Loki shook her gently. “Kit? Kitten? Are you alright?”

She slowly blinked her eyes. “I…I feel strange.” Her eyes shifted colors, and Loki cursed.

“Dammit!”

Rich and Gabriel drew closer. “What’s going on?” Rich asked, looking into her eyes. They shifted once more. “NO! KIT!”

Gabriel peered over at Natharia, who was fingering the crown of Ether on her head and smiling haughtily at them.

“She’s in her head!” he cried. He touched his fingertips to Kit’s brow. “Sweet girl, please fight it! Don’t give in!” he pleaded.

Rich and Loki watched as Gabriel closed his eyes, talking quietly under his breath to try to get through to Kit. All the while Natharia casually watched, the same smug expression upon her face.

Gabriel suddenly snatched his hands back as if they’d been burned. “Shit! I can’t reach her! She’s too powerful here!”

Kit suddenly pushed them all away, knocking them to the ground and walking quickly to stand before the woman controlling her. Sam and Dean tried to stop her, but they were forced back as well, tossed aside and left sprawled and groaning on the cave floor.

“Good girl,” Natharia purred to Kit. “Now, where were we?” Without preamble, she kissed her, and Rich, Loki, and Gabriel watched in dismay as Natharia’s form literally poured into their lover’s mouth.

“No…” Rich breathed. He slowly got to his feet, ignoring Loki and Gabriel’s attempts to stop him. “No, Kit… Please, no…”

Kit’s—now Natharia’s—eyes opened, revealing deep, dark, dangerous green eyes, void of pupils. “She’s here, not to worry. And I won’t let her suffer… _much._ Especially if you and your archangel agree to do as my father says willingly.”

Gabriel groaned as he stood. “Threats always piss me off,” he said. “Especially against people I love. And we all know that you’re lying through your teeth.”

She shrugged. “Well, we all know that you and Rich are safe. Well,” she jerked her head and Gabriel and Loki were slammed into the wall by the portal. “That doesn’t mean I can’t hurt you along with him at least.”

She turned to Sam and Dean and rolled her eyes. “As for you two.” She smirked and their limbs shot to their sides. “Stay there and I’ll get to you next.”

Rich curled his hands into fists. “Do you get off on causing pain to others?”

“No, I get what I _want_ from causing pain to others,” she corrected him.

It was killing him, seeing the face of his wonderful Kit contorted into such evil expressions. Hearing her voice sounding so deranged. Her eyes turned from their beautiful, cornflower blue to that harrowing, yellow-green.

He wanted his pretty girl back.

“Kit!” Loki shouted, trying to push himself off the wall. “Kit!”

Gabriel kicked and fought, reopening the wound in his arm. “Kit-Kat, please! Wake up! You’re strong, sweetheart! Force her out!”

Natharia tapped the side of her head. “She’s hiding, boys. Can’t hear you.”

She then drew her brows together angrily as she looked straight at Gabriel. “You were the first.” She clenched her right hand into a fist, and Gabriel cried out in shock as his wings were forced into being from his back. “Feel what it’s like to have your things played with without permission!” She snapped her fingers and the archangel’s left wing bent backwards in on itself unnaturally. Gabriel went extremely pale and retched all over himself.

“STOP IT YOU FUCKED UP BITCH!” Loki snarled.

Her eyes cut to him. “You! You were the second!” She curled her fingers into claws and raised them towards him, and Loki screamed. His clothes ripped open, turning into bloody shreds as deep, vicious cuts were revealed along his skin. He looked like he’d just been mauled by an animal, and blood ran in rivulets down his arms and legs.

Gabriel gasped. “L-Loki…”

“Disgusting, the both of you,” Natharia spat.

Rich had tried to make his way to them, but Natharia had cruelly stopped him by way of an invisible barrier. He had shouted their names, banged his fists until they were bruised against the obstruction. When it suddenly disappeared, he fell heavily to his knees.

He shot to his feet and started towards them, but stopped when Gabriel croaked out brokenly, “No, Rich.”

“Save her,” Loki rasped.

“She wouldn’t want you to suffer,” Rich said, his eyes red, face covered in trails of tears.

“ _She’s_ suffering, Baby,” Loki said. “Save our girl.”

“Your behavior sickens me,” Natharia scoffed, rolling her eyes.

Rich started, then turned and faced her. “Are you going to hurt me next?”

Natharia looked casually over her shoulder to Cormac and back. "Oh, I'm leaving that to my father.”

“He’s already hurt me, so I don’t think you’re telling the truth.” Rich took a step forward. “I don’t even know if you can do anything else to hurt me more than you already have.”

A jagged crystal appeared in her hand and she aimed it at her chest. "One more step and I'll kill her, and them."

"No you won't,” Rich said, taking another step.

"Oh I will,” she said, pressing the sharp edge against her skin.

"You need them all, especially Robbie. You're bluffing."

She smiled and nicked her skin, a bead of blood welling to the surface. "Heh. You think I mean the _others?_ "

Rich paused.

Natharia cackled. "Oh, you humans and your secrets!"

Cormac snickered and walked to stand beside his daughter. "For being so close, you all do keep so much from one another."

"What are you talking about?" Rich demanded.

Natharia placed a hand on her belly in answer.

Gabriel took a startled breath then shared a look with Loki, who looked completely stunned.

Rich’s eyes were focused on Natharia’s mid-section, his mind racing, trying to understand exactly what he had heard. He then slowly raised his gaze to what was supposed to be Kit’s gentle, loving face, yet it was still just the hate-filled, insane one of Natharia.

“We all know that’s impossible.”

"Hmm, tell that to what's inside of here," she said, stroking her belly softly. "I could either just kill everyone non-important, including them." She pressed her fingers into her stomach, making Rich, Gabriel, and Loki jerk. “Or you can just agree to what my father wants, and I'll allow them to live."

Loki furrowed his eyebrows. "You’re lying," he said slowly through his pain.

"Am I?” she said, raising an eyebrow at the pagan god.

“I don’t believe you,” Rich snapped, then started walking towards her once more.

“You fools all deserve each other, you know that?” She dropped the crystal in her hand and whirled around, spreading her arms wide. “Let’s speed things up, Father!”

Rich suddenly realized what she was about to do. “NO!”

Cormac rushed back to the vortex and pulled on what Rich now realized were tethers of Ether, not ropes. He saw a giant ball of the blasted stuff start to emerge from the portal, and it was headed straight for Natharia.

Straight for Kit.

And he did the only thing he could do…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *lyrics from R.E.M.'s "At My Most Beautiful"


End file.
